2012 MAC Individual Championships Central
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – Senior
Jason Mifsud (Montoursville, Pa./Montoursville Area) used his No. 1 seed in the top-flight at the Middle Atlantic Conference Individual Championships to good effect on Saturday, Oct. 13, at Kirby Park, winning his quarterfinal match to advance into Sunday’s play, looking to become the first Lycoming College men’s tennis player to win a MAC individual title.
Mifsud will pick up play on Sunday, facing fourth-seeded Eric Fritzges of Elizabethtown in the semifinals at 9 a.m. The winner will face the winner of the match between No. 2 Steven Wilson of Wilkes and No. 3 Ethan Grodzinski of Lebanon Valley for the MAC Individual Championship title.
The senior has faced Fritzges once in his career, beating him 7-6 (4), 6-0 in the quarterfinals of the 2010 MAC Individual Championships third flight. He has face Gridzinski twice, beating him once in two sets in 2011, and once in three sets during the spring 2012 season. He has face Wilson three times, beating him twice in superset tiebreakers and falling to him in the quarterfinals of the 2011 MAC Individual Championships.
Mifsud became the first player in the last 30 years to reach 35 career singles wins with his 6-2, 7-6 (6) win over King’s Tony Bevuevino to reach the semifinals at the MAC individuals for the third time in his career. He was a finalist in the first flight his first two years with the Warriors.
The only Warrior tennis player to win a MAC individual title was Cricket Temple, who won the women’s top honors in 1999.
Mifsud also reached the quarterfinals in the top flight of doubles, teaming with sophomore
Sean Marshall (Waverly, N.Y./Athens Area) to beat Misericordia’s Nicholas Heshey and Sal Saraniti, 8-6, in the first round. They fell to No. 4-seed Nathan Bauer and Daniel Minnich of Alvernia, 8-3.
Freshman
Anthony Fabiano (Hughesville, Pa./Hughesville Area) posted a first round win at No. 4 singles, defeating Shane Hall of Misericordia, 6-0, 6-0, before falling to Wilkes’ Max Appello, 6-0, 6-1, in the quarterfinals.
Freshman
Jelani Martinez (Spring Hill, Fla./New York Military Institute) also notched a first round win over King’s Lee Arner, 6-1, 6-4, but he fell to FDU-Florham’s Josin Aybalik, 6-1, 6-0, in the quarterfinals.
MAC Individual Tournament Results
No. 1 Singles
Quarterfinals: #1 Jason Mifsud (LC) def. Tony Bevuevino, King’s, 6-2, 7-6 (6)
Semifinals: Mifsud vs. #4 Eric Fritzges (Elizabethtown)
#3 Ethan Grodzinski (Lebanon Valley) vs. #2 Steven Wilson (Wilkes)
No. 2 Singles
1st Round: Jake Rohring (King’s) def. Cody Heffner (LC), 6-2, 6-0
No. 3 Singles
1st Round: Andrew Wilson (Lebanon Valley) def. Sean Marshall (LC), 6-0, 6-0
No. 4 Singles
1st Round: Anthony Fabiano (LC) def. Shane Hall (Misericordia), 6-0, 6-0
Quarterfinals: #4 Max Appello (Wilkes) def. Fabiano, 6-0, 6-1
No. 5 Singles
1st Round: Billy Frietag (Elizabethtown) def. Jordan Dubinsky, 6-0, 6-2
No. 6 Singles
1st Round: No. 2 Alejandro Diaz (Elizabethtown) def. Jack Port, 6-1, 6-0
No. 7 Singles
1st Round: Jelani Martinez (LC) def. Lee Arner (King’s), 6-1, 6-4
Quarterfinals: Josin Aybalik (FDU-Florham) def. Martinez (LC), 6-1, 6-0
No. 1 Doubles
1st Round: Marshall/Mifsud (LC) def. Nicholas Hershey/Sal Saraniti (Misericordia), 8-6
Quarterfinals: #4 Nathan Bauer/Daniel Minnich (Alvernia) def. Marshall/Mifsud (LC), 8-3
No. 2 Doubles
1st Round: #3 Dan Hackford/Brandon Helfrich (Wilkes) def. Fabiano/Heffner, 8-3
No. 3 Doubles
1st Round: Jeremy Garcia/Herminio Quinones (Arcadia) def. Martinez/Port (LC), 8-4
