Aztec Reporter

SERVING THE STATE TENNIS COMMUNITY Vol 4, No 1, 2002 Aztec Teams Embarking on 2002 Season Women Schedule ATR Photo A Doubleheader; Beer & Circus: Men In Early Test Final Thoughts Against Stanford In his book, Beer and Cir- cus, Indiana University profes- Bolstered by newcomers sor Murray Sperber accuses and toughened by fall compe- the nation’s biggest universities tition, San Diego State’s two of starving undergraduate edu- tennis teams are pushing off cation while doling out huge on ambitious schedules for sums for school teams stocked the 2002 season. with coddled, professional ath- The squads play 20 home letes (See “All ESPN All the matches, including bouts with Time?” ATR, Vol 3, Nos 4, 5). Georgia Tech, USC, and SDSU Executive Athletic Notre Dame (women), and Director Rick Bay concedes Princeton and Tulsa (men). The Aztec women open at there are abuses but says team Erichsen photo, 1999; Aztec Tennis Reporter Photos, 2001 sports help nurture a campus home on Saturday, Jan. 26, and its students (Vol 3, No 6). in an unusual doubleheader. FACES: Top row, from left, Tornier, Erichsen, Chidley, He asks: If universities can pay Both opposing teams are Romero. Bottom row, Hardt, Jensen, Coelho, and Naffa. coached by Aztecs: Lisa Ali- top (Nobel-level) professors in Rasmus Jensen, a Danish the high six figures, why not paz (1993-95) leads St. Teams, Dates, Times, Mary’s Gaels, and Hugh graduate student with a final football coaches? And he adds: and a Map on Page 4 season’s eligibility (he played at SDSU and other universities Bream (coach, 1989-93), leads Cal Poly (SLO). Valdosta State); Khalid Naffa of recruit top students with the National Intercollegiate Indoor Jordan, a Saddlebrook College same fervor as a coach court- The Aztec men face per- ennial powerhouse Stanford doubles champions and were transfer; and veterans Gabe ing a prospective linebacker. ranked second by the ITA. Coren and Mike Coelho round Yet veteran sportswriter in their opening dual match on Feb. 2 at Stanford. Their Valentino Pest, a 2000 Na- out Coach John Nelson’s team. Leonard Koppett (The New tional Indoor singles quarterfi- The Aztec women, coached York Times) says there’s “no home opener is against UC Irvine on Feb. 23. nalist, was a summer hitting by Peter Mattera, are led by excuse” for big-time (Division partner of Brazil’s Gustavo Silvia Tornier, winner of two fall 1A) football and basketball pro- The men’s team is led by Oliver Maiberger, 11th in the Kuerten. tournaments and 60th in pre- grams, which are pure enter- Felix Hardt is a highly re- season ITA doubles polls with tainment and promote hypoc- nation in preseason rankings by the Intercollegiate Tennis garded newcomer from Ger- Lindsey Hedberg. Katja Kar- risy because they fly under a many. Aztec Senior Travis rento, Katey Becker and Julie false flag of amateurism (Vol 3, Association. He and Aztec Ryan Redondo are the 2001 Hasson is the all-college Chidley are returning veterans. No 7). champion in San Diego. Indra Erichsen of Germany is There are abuses and suc- joining the team, as is Mexico’s cesses (lives lifted by a chance Katalina Romero. to go to college). The system is Little Mo: Little Aztec Legacy Both teams are pointing for out of balance. To fulfill its It’s a tennis footnote: was so brief it barely the NCAA Division I champion- promise, it needs help. — J.M. ships. Last season, the women Maureen Connolly, the rates a mention. INSIDE THIS ISSUE: first woman to win the But it remains a fact, four tourna- unknown even to some Lebedeff Top Coach New: Aztec Job Market 2 ments in a single year of her closest friends. Aztec Ann Lebedeff (1972- Tennis News: A Black Hole 2 (1953), attended San By the time she ar- 74) of fifth-ranked Pomona- Where Is Blake Pearson? 3 Diego State College. rived on campus to Pitzer won the 2001 Division True: She never study, Connolly was III Coach of the Year Award played intercollegiate Maureen C. Brinker, from the Intercollegiate Tennis tennis for the Aztecs. married to Norman Association and Wilson Sport- True: She later attended Brinker, 1957 student ing Goods. Lebedeff was Divi- many more classes at body president and an sion II Coach of the Decade Southern Methodist Uni- Olympic equestrian com- (1990s), Coach of the Year versity. True: Her time (1990, 1992) and national 2002 Aztec Team Matches 4 on Montezuma Mesa Connolly (Continued on Page 2) college doubles champ in Page 2 Aztec Tennis Reporter

The day after San Diego stiles, forget the coverage. State won one of the crown Tennis News: Lost in a Black Hole The truth is that local tennis jewels of college tennis — stories, which encouraged the Omni Hotels National yard, gave it maybe it’s generations of young men Intercollegiate Indoor Dou- modest cover- time to face and women to plunge into the bles Championship in age. facts. Billie sport with a passion, are fre- — the news dropped through But The Jean King told quently crowded out today by a Black Hole into a Parallel Associated coaches at the the spectator money sports. recent WTT Universe. Press, which Until somebody rediscov- transmits its Intercollegiate , Team Tennis ers or reinvents tennis (King which prides itself on keeping members’ sto- is trying), it will be hard to find ries to each Championship tabs on tennis at all levels, in San Diego: stories about it. carried not a line. other, did not spread the “Until college But a telephone call can Neither did USA Today, word. Must have “slipped un- tennis becomes a spectator help. Check the Aztec tennis The Washington Post, or Los der the carpet,” said Brian Ford sport, it won’t be taken seri- schedules (see page 4). Go Angeles Times, all of which of the AP in Dallas. ously.” to a match (20 at home this employ fine writers who know Maureen Connolly once year). If you can’t attend, call tennis. (The Times did report Relying on another source, the newspapers and TV sta- The San Diego Union-Tribune received reams of local cover- scores for a Southern Califor- age but one of her patron tions. Ask for scores. Inquire nia intercollegiate tourna- reported the news, but in only about local tournaments. two sentences. Brian Wong, saints, Nelson Fisher, was a ment). sportswriter. Today, argues They want your business. Tell an editor, explained: On Sun- them you’re interested in ten- The Dallas Morning day, football gets center court. King, until college tennis draws News, which helped sponsor nis. They will be, too. Disappointing? Yes, but customers through the turn- the tournament in its back- —John Martin (1957) Grand Slammer ‘Little Mo’ Connolly: A Little Aztec Legacy (Continued from Page 1) p h o t o g r a - Connolly’s How would petitor. She enrolled as a stu- pher in the competitive Maureen fare dent in the fall of 1964, ac- Philadelphia tennis career against today’s cording to the SDSU Regis- area. was cut short highly condi- trar’s public records. Connolly in 1954 by a tioned athletes? “It was her introduction to was un- leg injury suf- In his Tennis college history courses,” said beaten in fered in a Encyclopedia, Brinker, now retired in Dallas. singles in the freak traffic of One who noticed Mrs. Australian accident on The Boston Maureen Brinker’s earliest appearances Cham pion- horseback. Globe quotes on campus was Linda Cowie ships (5-0), She later of London’s Daily Walters, a journalism student the French coached ten- Telegraph: and professional singer who (10-0), and nis, but died “Whenever a great player performed with her sisters W imbledon of cancer in comes along you have to ask: Gaye and Bonnie. (18-0), and 1969 at age ‘Could she have beaten Mau- AFLOAT: Grand Slam tennis Walters supplied a clipping lost only two 34. champion Maureen Connolly, from The San Diego Union of matches at “She was ATR JOB MARKET center, with beauty queens Jan. 1, 1956, Forest Hills one of the A free service of Aztec Tennis Reporter Phyllis Fleming, left, and Gaye showing ten- (19-2). She most wonder- Cowie, in 1956 San Diego Un- nis star Mau- was dubbed ful people in Lisa Papi (1997-2000), now in man- ion clipping of celebrities cho- agement for national firm, seeks full- reen preparing “Little Mo” by the world who sen to ride a Rose Parade float. time position with San Diego firm or to ride on San sports writ- just happened organization, ideally in field of athlet- Diego’s Rose ers for her to play ten- ics. Degree in marketing, looking to Parade float powerful strokes and devas- nis,” said Brinker. work for college or professional tating accuracy. Searching for Thanks to his devotion, Con- sports organization on business side with Walters’ in public relations or management. sister Gaye, a a metaphor, they likened her nolly’s tennis legacy is alive Contact Papi at 559-276-9200. beauty queen. shots to shells fired from the more than 30 years after her “I saw her big guns of the American bat- death. Directed by Nancy Jeffet, Aztec Tennis Reporter ( M a u r e e n ) tleship USS Missouri. who is assisted by Carol Wey- Editor: John Martin 202-222-7140 frequently Connolly later studied his- man, the Maureen Connolly This issue is being mailed to 1,341 during my tory at SMU when the couple Brinker Tennis Foundation readers in 38 states and 21 foreign moved to early in sponsors annual national and countries. time” (on cam- To receive a copy, comment, seek a pus), said Brinker’s highly successful regional tennis competitions for career in the restaurant fran- thousands of young girls who correction, or request back issues, Walters, now please write ATR, 1528 Corcoran St., a professional chise development industry. dream of grand slam conquests. NW, Washington, DC 20009. Or email: Legacy Alive [email protected] Volume 4 Issue 1 Page 3

Where Is He Now? An Aztec Shows Up In The Fashion Trade Blake Pearson, Team Member in 1996-98, Moves from Capitol Hill To A Professional Modeling Career

FASHION CENTERFOLD: Blake Pearson (1996-98) is the Ralph Lauren Chaps model in many top U.S. magazines.

ONE OF THE GUYS: Blake Pearson, inset, on the 1997 Aztec men’s team. After playing at San Diego State, Pearson, of McLean, VA, served on Capitol Hill in Washington as an Agriculture Committee aide to U.S. Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana. Then, encouraged by sports agents of the ATP player and model Jan-Michael Gambill, Pearson took a job with the Wilhelmina Agency in Miami and New York. (For whereabouts of his 1997 teammates, see ATR, Vol 3, No 7). 2002 San Diego State Tennis Team Schedules WOMEN May 16-25 NCAA FINALS STANFORD Jan 26 ST MARY’S 8 A.M. SDSU MEN Jan 26 CAL POLY SLO 2 P.M. SDSU Jan 18-20 PEPPERDINE INVITATIONAL MALIBU Feb 1 WASHINGTON SEATTLE Jan 24-26 REGIONAL TEAM QUALIFYING BOISE Feb 3 WASHINGTON STATE SEATTLE Feb 2 STANFORD STANFORD Feb 10 OREGON 10 A.M. SDSU Feb 7-9 NATIONAL TEAM INDOORS LOUISVILLE Feb 16 PACIFIC NOON SDSU Feb 19 UCLA WESTWOOD Feb 22 UC IRVINE 2 P.M. SDSU Feb 22 PEPPERDINE MALIBU Mar 1 CAL BERKELEY Feb 23 UC IRVINE NOON, SDSU Mar 2 STANFORD STANFORD Mar 3 SANTA BARBARA NOON, SDSU Mar 4 GEORGIA TECH 2 P.M. SDSU Mar 16-19 BLUE-GRAY TOURNAMENT MOBILE, AL Mar 7 BAYLOR 2 P.M. SDSU Mar 23 PRINCETON NOON, SDSU Mar 13 USC 2 P.M. SDSU Mar 29 NEW MEXICO LAS VEGAS Mar 15 NOTRE DAME 2 P.M. SDSU Mar 30 AIR FORCE LAS VEGAS Mar 19 KANSAS STATE 2 P.M. SDSU Mar 31 UNLV LAS VEGAS Mar 22 UTAH LAS VEGAS Apr 5 UNIVERSITY OF TULSA 1:30 P.M. SDSU Mar 23 BRIGHAM YOUNG LAS VEGAS Apr 9 USD 1:30 P.M. USD Mar 29 WYOMING 2 P.M. SDSU Apr 12 UTAH SALT LAKE CITY Mar 30 COLORADO STATE 10 A.M. SDSU Apr 13 BRIGHAM YOUNG SALT LAKE CITY Mar 31 UNLV 10 A.M. SDSU Apr 14 UNIVERSITY OF THE PACIFIC NOON SDSU Apr 6 NEW MEXICO COLORADO SPRINGS Apr 25-27 M. WEST CONFERENCE LAS VEGAS Apr 7 AIR FORCE COLORADO SPRINGS May 11-12 NCAA REGIONALS TBA Apr 13 LOYOLA MARYMOUNT NOON SDSU May 18-27 NCAA FINALS COLLEGE STATION, TX Apr 16 USD 2 P.M. SDSU Apr 25-27 M. WEST CONFERENCE PROVO, UT M ATR Map to the Matches O May 10-11 NCAA REGIONALS TBA 55TH STREET Visitor Parking N T Lot M

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