Members of the girls tennis team from Leonia High School revel in the rhapsody of reaping the program's third straight North Jersey Section 1, Group 1 state tournament title.

By W. L. Bill Allen, Jr.

Director, NJ Sport/Action

Leonia–  For the third consecutive year, the girls tennis team from Leonia High School has earned a state sectional championship.

After enjoying a first round bye, the top-seeded Lady Lions racqueteers reaped the 2010 NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group 1 state title by vanquishing Verona, the fourth seed, 3.5 – 1.5, in a section semifinal round showdown on Oct 14, prior to clocking Cedar Grove, the second seed, 4-1, in the section’s title tussle on Oct. 18.

Verona had reached the semi’s by passing No. 5 Park Ridge, 5-0, on Oct. 12, while CG had gotten to the finals fracas for the first time ever by embering Emerson Boro, the seventh slotted squad, 4-1, on the 12th and then clipping Cresskill, the third seed, 3-2, on Oct. 13.

The Lady Lions’ victories over Verona and CG sent the locals to the State Finals Tournament on Oct. 20 at Mercer County Park in West Windsor on Oct. 20, where LHS was harangued by Haddon Township, the South Jersey champ, 2-3. in the State Group 1 semifinals, while North Section 2 champ Glen Ridge was ousted, 2-3, by Central Jersey titleist Point Pleasant Boro in the state semi’s, with Point Boro going on to humble Haddon Township, 5-0, in the State Group 1 final later that day.

In the section final clocking of Cedar Grove, Leonia junior Simola Levsky leveled fellow 11th-grader Caitlin Flynn of CG, 6-1, 6-2 at first singles, while the Lady Lions’ second singles stalwart, junior Miya Okado, blanked Lady Panthers sophomore Julie Lin, 6-0, 6-0, and LHS 11th-grader Alisha Malla lost only two games in a 6-0, 6-2, victory over CG senior Kelsey Coull at third singles.

In doubles doings, the Lady Lions captains, seniors Victoria Pai and Annie Kennelly, posted a 6-3, 6-1 triumph over Lady Panthers junior Rachel Moogan and sophomore Cassidy Trause, at first doubles, but the Leonia second doubles duo of junior Maleyna Marks and sophomore Zoe Kim fell to CG senior Carly O’Hagan and 10th-grader Candace Mitola 2-6, 2-6.

Overall, the Lady Lions went 16-3-1 this year and finished second in the brand new New Jersey Interscholastic Conference/Patriot League-Division A standings to only perennial power Dwight-Englewood, with a 12-2 mark in conference combat, while D-E, which has won eight straight league titles, went 14-0 in Division A play.

By W. L. Bill Allen, Jr.
Director, NJ Sport/Action

AREA–  While both the large schools and small schools champions from the Bergen County Girls Tennis Tournament, Tenafly High and the Dwight-Englewood School, battled their way into their respective state section title tussles, both then saw their playoffs runs ended by perennial powerful foes in Monday’s crown clashes.

Shortly after the Lady Tigers team had edged Ramapo Regional, 14-13, in the BCT large school team totals by sweeping all three singles titles and beating Ramapo opponents in that trio of tussles, veteran Tenafly head coach Anthony Zorovich predicted that the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group 3 state playoffs final would likely be a rematch between the two rivals and, if so, the outcome would be 3-2 one way or the other, as THS was the section’s top seed and Ramapo had secured the second slot in the field.

Truer words were never spoken, as the Lady Green Raiders edged the Lady Tigers, 3-2, on Monday, Oct. 18, at Paramus High.

In that outing, Tenafly’s second singles stalwart Rima Asatrian, a ninth-grader, overwhelmed Ramapo’s Lisa Jouravleva, 6-1, 6-0, and senior Courtney Lee, outclassed Ramapo’s Katie Nerlino, 6-0, 6-1, but Lady Raiders standout Amanda Muliawan reversed the outcome of the county crown clash by knocking-off THS senior Akiko Okuda, 6-1, 6-2.

Ramapo also won at both doubles spots, with the Lady Tigers tandem of senior Ada Lin and soph Nicole Byron falling, 6-2, 6-4, and the second doubles duo of senior Hannah Miller and Tessa Rubach being beaten, 6-1, 6-0.

Those results dropped the locals to 14-2 on the year, while Ramapo rose to 18-1.

The top seed in the 13 team field, THS had enjoyed a first round bye prior to spanking Sparta, the eighth seed, 5-0, in the quarterfinals on Oct. 11, after Sparta had outscored the ninth seed, NV/Old Tappan, 4-1, in a first round matchup on Oct. 7.

Then, in a section semifinal round showdown, Tenafly edged the fourth seed, Northern Highlands, 3-2, on the strength of a singles sweep on Wednesday, Oct. 13.

The second seed in the 11 team NJSIAA North Jersey Non-Public B Division bracket, Dwight-Englewood started its quest for a state crown with a first round bye, before outclassing Oak Knoll, the tenth seed, 5-0, on Oct. 7, after OK had upset seventh-spotted Saint Elizabeth Academy, 3-2, in the first round.

Next, in a section semi’s showdown on Oct. 13 in Englewood, D-E moved past Montclair Kimberley Academy, the third seed, 4-1, with wins at all three singles slots and at second doubles.

Finally, in the section finals, D-E was blanked, 0-5, by perennial power Newark Academy.

The team’s first singles standout is Lauren Eurbunt, a junior from Leonia, while the squad’s second singles stalwart is Samantha Balanevsky, a sophomore from Fort Lee and senior Jen Stone is playing third singles, with Jackie Herssens, a sophomore from Englewood, and Alexa Colas, a 10th-grader from Teaneck, teaming at first doubles and Nicole Fromer, a junior from Cresskill, and Rachel Kupelian combining at second doubles.

By W.L. Bill Allen, Jr.

Director, NJ Sport/Action

TENAFLY–  Powered by a singles supremacy sweep, the girls tennis team from Tenafly High surged past archrival Ramapo Regional to earn the Lady Tigers’s second straight Bergen County Groups 3 and 4 title, 14-13, over the runnerup Lady Green Raiders at that two-day event which was held on Oct. 2 and 3 at NV/Old Tappan High. Rounding out the team scores were Ridgewood with 10 points, Northern Highlands with nine, Immaculate Heart Academy with seven, the Academy of the Holy Angels with five, NV/Old Tappan with four, Bergen Tech with four, Paramus with two, Fair Lawn with two and NV/Demarest, Paramus Catholic, Bergenfield, Pascack Valley and Hackensack each with one point.

“We were down, 8-10, after day one, so this was a real comeback victory for us,” celebrated seven year veteran head coach Anthony Zorovich, who has yet to suffer a season in which his team did not win, at least, one championship in a septet of seasons with the girls gang and a dozen years with the boys battalion.

Leading the locals to their tourney triumph were first singles standout Akiko Okuda, a title-taking senior who moved to 8-0 at that time, second singles swinger Rima Asatrian, a BCT champ ninth-grader who started the season 9-0, and Courtney Lee, a county crown copper senior who rushed to a 10-0 start.

Playing first doubles are senior Ada Lin and soph Nicole Byron a 6-2 dup which reached the county quarters, while senior Hannah Miller and junior Hadeel Sadeek (4-1) team at second doubles and also reached the elite eight in BCT play.

Also seeing some varsity playing time are 10th-graders Tessa Rubach (3-0) and Nicolette Thompson (2-0).

This year’s county crown gives the locals three tourney triumphs in four years, as THS also finished first in  2007.

By W.L. Bill Allen, Jr.
Director, NJ Sport/Action

ENGLEWOOD–  When it comes to football in New Jersey, the standard, at this time, is Don Bosco Prep.

And, for many years, in terms of girls tennis, the Dwight-Englewood School was, maybe not DBP, but certainly one of the, say, three of four best teams in NJ year-in and year-out.

Last year, however, with a rookie head coach and a very, very young team, the locals went a still sparkling 15-1 overall, but only brought home one title, the final BCSL/Olympic Division crown, while finishing a close second to Pascack Hills in the Bergen County Groups 1 and 2 Tournament and being knocked-out of the state playoffs in the North Jersey Non-Public A semifinal round by upstart Villa Walsh Academy.

For pretty much almost any other team in the state, that’s a great, great… great year. But, for D-E, not good enough.

So, with a year’s experience in the bank, the Lady Bulldogs have already, for all practical purposes, clinched at least a tie for the brand new NJIC divisional championship and have also reaped the BCT 1-2 crown, outscoring defending champion Pascack Hills, 18-15, at that event which was held on Oct. 2 and 3 at NV/Demarest High.

In addition, seeded second in the North A state playoffs bracket, D-E has already outclassed seventh-slotted Oak Knoll, 5-0, on Tuesday, Oct. 13, and is now slated to play host to the third seed, Montclair Kimberley Academy in a state section semifinal round showdown.

In the other section semi’s skirmish, top-spotted Newark Academy is slated to host No. 4 Villa Walsh this afternoon, with the section’s title tussle on tap for  Monday, Oct. 18.

In regular season action, the D-E girls have whitewashed Waldwick, 5-0, rattled Ridgefield, 5-0, blasted Bergen Tech, 5-0, clocked Cresskill, 5-0, knocked-off New Milford, 4-1, edged Leonia, 3-2, rousted Ridgewood, 4-1, moved past Midland Park, 5-0, and embered Emerson, 5-0.

In the county tourney, Pascack Hills players advanced to the finals at all five positions, while D-E had athletes in four of the five finals fracases, with the score standing at 15-12, prior to the crown clashes.

“We were not at all sure what the outcome would be, but our girls showed a great deal of confidence and poise and won all four matches against Hills, that was great,” enthused second year head coach Courtney Baiardi.

“This is still a very, very young team, we only have one senior, but, building on the experience that they gained last year, our girls have really stepped up to the next level as a team.”

The team’s first singles standout is Lauren Eurbunt, a junior from Leonia who stands at 13-3, while the squad’s second singles stalwart is two-time BCT champion Samantha Balanevsky, a sophomore from Fort Lee who is 12-1, with BCT title-taker Jenn Stone, a southpawed senior who is perfect so far this season at 14-0.

14-0 is also the mark compiled by both county champion D-E doubles teams, with Jackie Herssens, a sophomore from Englewood, and Alexa Colas, a 10th-grader fromTeaneck, teaming at first doubles and Nicole Fromer, a junior from Cresskill, and Rachel Kupelian combining at second doubles.

By W. L. Bill Allen, Jr.
Director, NJ Sport/Action

LEONIA– While players may come and go and, as we have been forced to accept this year, even long-venerated leagues may come and go, one thing still remains the same, the high quality of the girls tennis program at Leonia High School.

After going 21-3 overall and winning a state section championship in 2009, the Lady Lions racquets contingent is off to a very healthy 7-1 start to its current campaign.

The locals opened their 2010 slate by nixing North Bergen, 4-1, on Sept. 10, prior to knocking-off New Milford, 4-1, on Sept. 14, embering Eastern Christian, 5-0, on Sept. 15, waylaying Waldwick, 3-0, on the 16th, rattling resurgent Ridgefield Memorial, 3-2, on Sept. 20 and clobbering Cresskill, 5-0, on Sept. 23.

Next, the LHS girls were edged, 2-3, by archrival Dwight-Englewood on Sept. 24, but then rebounded to move past Midland Park, 4-1, on Sept. 29, to reach 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the brand new NJIC/Patriot League-Division A loop, a grouping which includes LHS, D-E, Cresskill, New Milford, Waldwick and RMHS.

“The Olympic Division is gone, but we’re still in the same league as Dwight, which won the Olympic the last few years, while we were second in that league the last few years,” recounted longtime LHS head coach Tim Cullen.

Now in his 22nd season at the Leonia contingent’s controls, Cullen brought a 334-91-3 career coaching record, with 11 league titles, an octet of state section supremacies and one State Group 1 crown, into the current crusade.

The Lady Lions starting seven includes Simona Levsky, a junior who is 7-2 as the team’s first singles standout, Miya Okado, an 11th-grader who is 10-1 as the squad’s second singles stalwart, Alisha Malla, a junior who is 6-2 at third singles, Victoria Pai and Annie Kannelly, senior captains who are 7-2 at first doubles, and the second doubles duo of junior Maleyna Marks and sophomore Zoe Kim, a tandem which is 5-2 so far this season.

The only other Lady Lions who have seen any varsity playing time to this point are senior Elizabeth Yun and junior Yury Higuchi.

Dwight-Englewood won the small schools title at the Bergen County Tournament this past weekend by totaling 18 points, with Leonia finishing fifth with five points, but Cullen notes that, “We only lost to Dwight, 3-2, in our first league meeting against them and if we can get through the rest of the league unscathed the second time around, we’ll face Dwight in our final regular season match with a chance to upset them and tie for the title.

“If we can get to that match with just one loss in the league, that will provide some great drama and provide us with a chance at a championship and you simply can’t ask for more than that.”

Today, Wednesday, Oct. 6, should see Cullen’s crew traveling to take on Saddle River Day, with a first round state playoffs match most likely on tap for tomorrow, followed by a home courts clash against crosstown competitor Palisades Park set for Friday, Oct. 8. 

The Bogota Racquet Club has completed renovations, close to a half a million dollars, and opened to the general public on Saturday, Sept. 7. Attending the grand opening is (l-r): Margarita McHale, Ogi Nikolovski, Rehana Uehling, Gordon Uehling, Christina McHale, born in Teaneck and residing in Englewood Cliffs, Carlos Cano, Anne Olaya, Adrian Contreras and Samantha Phillips. There is a new surface (rebound Ace) on the courts with shock absorption of 17 percent versus a regular hard court surface that has 1 percent. Lighting on the courts entail 125 candles as compared to 35 candles, on average, for an indoor tennis facility.

Caption: 139: Melanie Oudin at the 2009 Kennedy Funding Invitational. Melanie, whose inspiring and surprising run at last year’s US Open captured the imagination and attention of the international tennis community, will return to The Kennedy Funding Invitational this July.

THE 5TH ANNUAL KENNEDY FUNDING INVITATIONAL TO FIGHT BREAST CANCER

By Jim Thorpe

NEW CITY, NY— Begun as a tribute to a family friend who lost her battle against breast cancer, the Kennedy Funding Invitational has grown exponentially. In just its first four years, the charity tennis tournament has raised more than $3 million to fight the disease, with proceeds benefiting The Leslie Simon Breast Care and Cytodiagnosis Center at Englewood Hospital and The Breast Center at Nyack Hospital.

The Invitational is back with a vengeance this year, scheduled for July 7-11 at Dellwood Country Club in New City, NY. In addition to the ever-popular Men’s Tournament, an expanded Women’s Tournament promises to be a highlight as highly ranked players like #22 Alisa Kleybanova fight for this year’s title. Lastyear, teen sensation Melanie Oudin took top honors before winning the attention—and hearts—of America with her outstanding performance at the U.S. Open. Since then, Melanie has reached a career-high ranking of #36.

Melanie Oudin and Andre Agassi at last year’s Kennedy Funding Invitational. Ms. Oudin was the tournament’s 2009 women’s champ the month before she became an international sensation for her phenomenal performance at the US Open.

“It is a tremendous honor to have some of the best players in the world participate in our event,” remarks Kevin Wolfer, co-executive director of the Invitational). “The endless hours of planning done by our Board of Directors and Board of Trustees are all worth it in the end when we get to present the hospitals with donations that help continue the fight against breast cancer.”

In 2007, the breast care center at Englewood Hospital was renamed in honor of Leslie Simon in recognition of the Invitational’s exceptional support of the center. Today, The Leslie Simon Breast Care and Cytodiagnosis Center at Englewood Hospital is a world-renowned pioneer and leader in the field of the early detection and treatment of breast cancer.

The Breast Center at Nyack Hospital is a first-class, comprehensive provider of breast diagnostic and treatment services with an emphasis on cancer prevention, early detection, and personalized care.

Admission to all tournament matches is absolutely free. Please visit kennedyfundinginvitational.com or call (800) 342-8500 for more information, including tournament schedules, directions to Dellwood Country Club, sponsorship details, and more.

Miguel A. Sanchez, MD

Miguel A. Sanchez, MD

In recognition of his exceptional service to breast cancer patients around the world, Miguel A. Sanchez, MD, will be honored next month by The Kennedy Funding Invitational, a professional tennis tournament dedicated to the cause of fighting breast cancer.

The distinguished physician is medical director of The Leslie Simon Breast Care and Cytodiagnosis Center at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center.

“Dr. Sanchez honors Englewood Hospital and its patients every day with his devotion to his patients, his dedication to medicine and his leadership in the early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer,” said Medical Center President and CEO Douglas A. Duchak.

“We are privileged to have Dr. Sanchez as an integral part of the Englewood Hospital family, and very proud of this recognition.”

No one tells the story of Dr. Sanchez’s work better than his patients. Eleven years ago, Jill Fader, a young mother with four small children, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Minutes before, the doctor had performed a fine needle aspiration, during which cells from a suspicious lump are removed in a non-surgical procedure and examined by a pathologist.

“Approximately 20 minutes after Dr. Sanchez performed the test, he returned with the terrible news,” remembers Ms. Fader. But what could have been an unbearable moment was, instead, the beginning of her treatment and healing. “He spoke calmly, laying out the next steps as he gave me the strength to process what was happening. He told me, ‘No matter what this is, we’re going to take care of it.’  He gave me confidence, hope and optimism. I knew I was in good hands.”

Ms. Fader firmly believes the procedure saved her life. “I had a very aggressive tumor, and the procedure allowed me to be diagnosed immediately,” she recalls. “That led to an immediate referral to a surgeon and the immediate removal of the tumor before it spread to my lymph nodes. Today, having breast cancer is a distant memory, but the kind of care, and caring, that I experienced then remains permanently etched in my heart and mind.”

Dr. Sanchez’s pioneering work in the field of breast cancer has become the centerpiece of his life. Since 1990, he has been the medical director of what is now called The Leslie Simon Breast Care and Cytodiagnosis Center, a service that recorded 47,238 patient visits in 2009. Dr. Sanchez was the forward-looking force behind the establishment of the center and has been its medical director since it opened.

Back then, a woman who found a breast lump would most likely go several weeks or longer without a diagnosis, and that piece of crucial information would usually come only after an open surgical procedure and a lengthy, uncomfortable recuperative period. “I knew we could do better,” said Dr. Sanchez. The center quickly came to be known for personalized care, state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment and integrated services that eased the way for patients. Its rapid growth and superior track record for finding even the smallest tumors has shown the critical need for the center and the value of its innovative multidisciplinary approach.

Dr. Sanchez is board-certified in anatomic pathology, clinical pathology and cytopathology, a branch of pathology that studies and diagnoses diseases on the cellular level. Having once considered specializing in other fields of medicine, it was the challenges of pathology that drew him. “The microscope always intrigued me,” he said. “I asked a senior internist, ‘What do you think about pathology?’ His answer was, ‘It’s okay, but you will never be able to know everything.’ That answer encouraged me to go into pathology.”

Much of Dr. Sanchez’s contribution to healthcare has occurred behind the scenes. “Miguel led a cultural revolution, gradually gathering the support of other physicians and hospital staff,” said Chief of Oncology Michael Schleider, MD, who has worked with Dr. Sanchez for more than 30 years. “We were able to build a model of care that put the patient first and significantly streamlined the diagnosis and treatment process. We learned and grew together.”

The advantages of fine needle aspiration over open surgical biopsy became apparent, and other breast care centers followed suit. “Miguel ‘resuscitated’ the use of fine needle aspiration, which had largely fallen out of use,” said Dr. Schleider.

Dr. Sanchez’s devotion to his patients is an inspiration to many. “Miguel understands what is right for the patient, and he’ll do it,” said Dr. Schleider. “He is a highly ethical person with a good perspective, a super human being with a strong sense of humanity, a physician for whom medicine is a profession and not a job. He lives the tradition of a physician as the patient’s friend. He’ll even personally go to bat with an insurance company for a patient.”

General surgeon and breast surgeon Barry Sussman, MD, has witnessed Dr. Sanchez’s dedication first-hand on many occasions. “Miguel has been extremely generous in giving of his time and talents to the hospital, and highly instrumental in its growth and expansion,” said Dr. Sussman. “He is a tireless worker and is exceptionally loyal to Englewood Hospital.”

During Dr. Sanchez’s 35 years of service at Englewood Hospital, he has held numerous important positions, including chief of pathology, president of the Englewood Hospital and Medical Center Medical Staff, and chairman of the Tumor Board. Dr. Sanchez also heads the weekly Breast Management Conference, which has met continuously since its inception 20 years ago. At the conference, physicians and staff members from various areas of specialty review every breast cancer case, discuss treatment options and share concerns. “The majority of people come every week,” said Dr. Sussman. “That alone gives you an idea of the importance of the conference.”

Ultimately, it is Dr. Sanchez’s dedication to patients like Ms. Fader that speaks best to his work. “Miguel Sanchez is a superior clinician, a visionary leader, and a dedicated physician known for his empathy and, quite notably, his willingness to share with his patients as much time as they require,” said Dr. Sussman. “That’s a wonderful thing to be able to say about a physician.”