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May 22, 2008
Men’s tennis team competes amid wet conditions at national championship
Rainy weather cut short the men’s tennis team’s chances to score more points, but could not dampen the player’s competitive drive during the 2008 NJCAA Men’s National Tennis Championship.

The Cyclones took 24th place at the tournament held May 11-16 in Plano, Texas, which is not indicative of their performance, said head tennis coach Bill Finn. Jorden Helstern (Oak Lawn), Matt Tanulanond (Andrew), Will Cundy (Thornton Fractional South) and doubles team Dan Hicks (Richards) and Bill Drzewiecki (Stagg) all played matches that went to a third set. “We played really competitively. Even though they didn’t win their matches they did well and showed we did belong among these 36 teams,” Finn said.

Typically, players compete in consolation brackets in the days following the start of the championship, however, rain canceled at least two days of play, Finn said. The Cyclones were disappointed with the shortened game time, but it did not diminish a stellar season.

The tennis team went undefeated during the regular season going 11-0 overall and 10-0 in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference. They won the NJCAA Region IV State Tournament April 26 — their fourth title — which earned them a bid to the nationals.

“I’m really excited about how we did. We definitely exceeded expectations this season by a lot,” Finn said. “I recruited a great team. Even though circumstances took two good tennis players out in the beginning of the season, we got additional guys and they became better as we went along.”

Several players received post-season distinctions including Helstern, Tanulanond, Cundy and Erick Dobrzynski (Argo) who were all selected to the All-Conference team. Helstern also was deemed conference player of the year. All-Region honors went to Helstern, Tanulanond and Cundy.

Men’s Tennis Team Heads to National Tournament after winning Region IV State Tournament
Coming off an undefeated season, the Cyclones nearly faced a coin toss to determine who won the NJCAA Region IV State Tournament April 26, but in the end the men’s tennis team claimed its fourth title. The win also earned the young team a bid to the 2008 NJCAA Men’s National Tennis Tournament.

The Region IV Tournament was held April 25 and 26 at Moraine Valley’s tennis courts amid windy conditions, forcing some matches indoors. Moraine Valley competed against eight other colleges, including close runnerup Elgin Community College.

After two days both Moraine Valley and Elgin teams had roughly the same number of points earned and needed a tie-breaker to decide a clear champion, said head coach Bill Finn. Before resorting to a coin toss to determine the winner, officials tallied the total number of games won by each player over the two-day tournament. Moraine Valley beat Elgin by 0.2 percentage points. Sophomore Jorden Helstern (Oak Lawn) was the singles champion and first-year player Will Cundy (Thorton Fractional South) earned a fourth-place finish among the field. Helstern and sophomore Matt Tanulanond (Andrew) were doubles champs.

“It was very exciting, and we played extremely well. We have more talent and have been really lucky. They hung tough and are a mentally tough team,” Finn said. “I thought it’d be a three-team match between Illinois Valley, Elgin, and us. All three of us could have won. It was a close, long two days, but our guys did well.”

During the regular season the Cyclones were undefeated with an 11-0 overall record and 10-0 conference record. This marks the third conference title and fourth consecutive Region IV State title for the team. Finn earned Region IV Coach of the Year for the fourth consecutive year as well as Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year. Helstern (Oak Lawn) was also selected as Conference Player of the Year.

The men’s tennis team will face a strong international field when they head to Plano, Texas for the national championship May 11-16.

“The talent level is ridiculous there. They just dominate,” Finn said of the upcoming tournament. “It’s a great experience, and it’s an open period for college scouts to watch players vie against other top players in the world.”

2008 Season Preview
Cyclones have game; set to match challenge
If the men’s tennis team is to net its fourth consecutive NJCAA Region IV title, their “youngsters” will have to age quickly. The Cyclones return only two players from their championship teams from a year ago.

“We have won three straight Region IV state titles,” says Coach Bill Finn, “but we lost a lot of great players and leadership to graduation. (Tony Giordano, Mike Wojnarowski, Jerry Thor, and Alvin Baloun). We will be counting heavily on returning National Semifinalist Jorden Helstern (Oak Lawn) and National Quarterfinalist Matt Tanulanond (Andrew) to lead this very young and inexperienced team.”

The men’s tennis program, coached by Finn since its inception four years ago, has been a force to be reckoned with in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference, where the Cyclones have won or shared the past two conference titles, and in Region IV, where it has dominated the past three years. To continue that domination, the team will have to rely on newcomers. “Our top two freshman recruits are Will Cundy (Thornton Fractional South) and Erick Dobrzynski (Argo), and I expect them to be very competitive in the middle of the lineup,” said Finn, who serves as the college’s Athletics director. “The fate of this team, however, may lie in the three unknowns—our walk-ons Dan Hicks (Richards), Damian Hahn (Reavis) and Bill Drzewiecki (Stagg).”

Finn, who has received Region IV coach of the year honors the past three seasons, is optimistic that his young team may very well come of age at the right time. “This team is very dedicated and a lot of fun to be around. If we can get are eyes on the prize and be more intense during matches, we’ll have a chance to place again in the Region Finals,” he said.
Circle April 25-26—Region IV tournament—as the weekend to see whether the Cyclones are set to match the past three seasons.

2008 Season
Overall Record: 11-0
Conference Record: 10-0

All-Region IV team: Jorden Helstern (Oak Lawn), Matt Tanulanond (Andrew) and Will Cundy (Thornton Fractional South)
All-Conference team: Helstern, Tanulanond, Cundy, and Erick Dobrzynski (Argo)Conference Player of the Year: Helstern

2007 Season
Season Record: 7-1; Conference Record 3-1

Region IV Champions; Co-Conference Champions
Finished 18th overall at NJCAA National Tournament (May 13-18)

Mike Wojnarowski (1st Singles Champion) - Region IV and Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Player of the Year
Bill Finn - Region IV and Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year