April 30, 2012
Greetings Cedarville tennis compadres,
A wise man once said, “All good things must come to an end.” And sadly this wise man was correct. Our season, pending our final team meal tonight, has reached its end. Though it’s a bummer that it has come to a close, we had a great last week of our season.
Monday and Tuesday were filled with wind that forced us to cancel practice on Monday and move indoors to the spacious Doden Field House on Tuesday. The return to the field house was a wonderful reminder of how great it is to be playing outside on normal courts. Wednesday we were able to practice in between rain showers and got a solid, final two hour practice in.
Thursday began the first of two rounds in the Ohio Independent Championships (OIC). We were the two seed and played Malone, a team we beat last week 9-0. We entered the match trying to not overlook our opponents. Both teams agreed to play to decision, which meant the first team to get five points would win. All other matches would be pulled no matter the score. In doubles, we won all three matches with the scores of 8-6, 8-1, and 8-1 at numbers one through three. It was a race to finish singles with Josh at number six winning 6-0, 6-0 and Bobby at number two winning 6-3, 6-1. The other four matches were then suspended with our team leading in all four. We felt that we had played well and had gotten the job done against Malone. Walsh also won their match on Thursday setting up a rematch from the previous week.
Friday was a beautiful day for tennis. We arrived at the courts and warmed up, knowing we would have to bring our best tennis to beat Walsh. We were excited to play and confident that we had a chance to win. Doubles began with a 2-1 split in favor of the Cavs. Aaron and John fought hard but couldn’t come back from an early deficit, losing 8-6. Bobby and I played some of our best tennis of the season and got a 7-2 lead before losing three games. Bobby served out the last game, ending his collegiate doubles career with a solid 8-5 win. Q and Jake’s doubles opponents were a different and more skilled doubles team than the previous Walsh match and defeated Jake and Q. Though doubles didn’t go according to plan, we knew there were several close singles matches in our first match that could go either direction. Unfortunately, the story didn’t change the second time around. We lost in straight sets in all six slots, but again with tight scores. Many of the first sets were close with Aaron losing 7-5 and John, Q, and Adam all losing with a score of 6-4. In the second set, Bobby lost in 7-5 in a tiebreak. In all of these matches, a couple points change the direction of the set and maybe the match. Even though we lost, we knew we fought hard and were proud of our season.
One of the toughest parts about ending a season is the knowledge that the seniors won’t be returning next season. We had two great seniors on our team this year in Bobby and Mike. They led our team both on and off the courts, and their example as Christian men impacted our team for the better.
Bobby, who I must say is the best doubles partner in the world, will begin studying for the CPA in the next months. In January, he will begin working for an accounting firm called Plante & Moran in Cincinnati, which thankfully is close to Cedarville. There are tons of great memories with Bobby including bed ball on spring break ‘11, doing flips in the pool during spring break ’12, playing bocce ball at our hotel in Kentucky last season, and running to the ocean with the team and then Bobby and I almost getting swept away by the undertow. He’s been a great friend and a huge encouragement to me through the two years I’ve known him.
Mike will return to Cedarville next semester to finish up some classes. He then hopes to participate in Teach for America and get plugged into a church to make a bigger impact on the community. Marriage and a family are also plans down the road. Mike always is willing to help people with their tennis game. I can remember several times turning to Mike for help in a certain stroke or for advice on a shot. His tennis knowledge is definitely an asset that we will miss next year. I’ve enjoyed getting to know Mike over the two years and have appreciated his heart for Christ and urban ministry. He has provided helpful advice on tennis, classes, and life.
This season has flown by. It has been great to get to know the guys better and I’ve enjoyed the large amount of time I’ve spent with them over the last three months. We have shared many great memories over the year, through spring break, practice, matches, and meals. I am excited to see what God will do in our lives over the summer as we head different directions through internships, camps, work, and mission trips. We appreciate the prayers and all the support we have been shown throughout the season.
At ‘your service’ (for the last time),
Jared
April 23, 2012
Hey Cedarville tennis faithful,
Hope you all had a great week. Our week was full of surprises. What we once thought was going to be our busiest week of the season, quickly turned into an average week.
After a windy practice on Monday, we received an email from coach letting us know that Ohio Dominican, our match on Tuesday, had cancelled due to injuries. Their coach explained that several players had gotten injured in Monday’s practice and they didn’t have enough players to make the trip. So instead of a match Tuesday afternoon, we had practice. During this practice, coach got another call from West Virginia State’s coach. Their team was in an accident on their way home from a match on Monday after being forced into a guardrail by another vehicle. No one was seriously injured, but they were all very sore and shaken up about the incident and wouldn’t be able to make the trip. Amazingly both of these matches that were cancelled were home matches, so we still had to travel for the matches later in the week.
After practice on Wednesday which included some of Adam’s family members from Maine, we made the trip on Thursday to North Canton to play Walsh. We knew Walsh was a good team and that we would need to be on our best game to beat them. We lost all three doubles, but felt that we could have played much closer matches. Bobby and I at #2 doubles had several opportunities to win crucial games in the match, but couldn’t capitalize on them and lost 8-6. We competed well in many of the singles matches, but came out with only one win. At #6 singles, Josh pulled out a great third set win. We had several other close matches: Bobby lost 6-4, 6-4 and John lost in a third set tiebreak 10-8. Quinton and Aaron’s matches were both also close with just a couple of games deciding the match. Though we were disappointed in the loss, we were excited to see that we were able to compete with Walsh in a lot of tight matches even when our circumstances weren’t the best with travel and food. This is especially encouraging because we will likely see them again this Friday at the Ohio Independent Championship (OIC). It was also exciting to have Adam’s parents and sister from Maine at our match and see Adam play. We also enjoyed watching John trip over the fence as he attempted to jump over it after the match.
Saturday was the longest day of our tennis season. We pulled out of Cedarville’s campus with the ladies’ team at 7 a.m. and made the four and a half hour trip to Mishawaka, Indiana. We got to the courts and warmed up, trying to get our legs ready for a match after being in a bus for what seemed like forever. We knew pretty much nothing about Bethel but were glad to be off the bus and finally playing. We began with doubles and won all three doubles fairly handily. Singles continued with much of the same dominance as we won all the matches in straight sets. After finishing, we waited for awhile as the ladies’ team finished their match. They lost 6-3 but had several close matches.
After our matches, both teams hit the road again. For our final road match supper we stopped at an Amish family-style restaurant. We enjoyed a delicious meal and were able to spend more time with each other. We had to wait for awhile to be seated (we were a group of 25) and found ways to entertain ourselves with games, such as the pricing game. After a delicious dinner, we hit the road and finished our trip back to Cedarville finally arriving home around midnight. It was an extremely long and tiring day, but was a blast. We got to know the girls better (hopefully we can make more trips together in the future), won our match, and enjoyed our last road trip of the season.
It was also great on Saturday to have my parents surprise me at our match. I hadn’t seen them since Christmas so it was an excellent surprise to see them again. We want to thank parents, friends, fans, family, and others for their constant support of us as a team. Life can get really busy as a student-athlete, but it is encouraging to know that we have people supporting, loving, and praying for us.
The team on Saturday was talking about how fast this season has flown. It feels like we just back from spring break in sunny and warm Florida and the season is just beginning. Instead we are done with our regular season and only have the post season OIC’s left. Thankfully the OIC’s are being played here in Cedarville, which means we don’t have to travel which is always a hassle. We play Malone on Thursday. We beat them last week 9-0, but we will be sure not to look past them to our next match which will likely be against Walsh. Our team feels that we can beat Walsh though we lost this past week to them. We are excited to see how we stack up with them after a week of solid practice and playing at home. We feel that we can step up our game and end our season on a winning note.
We appreciate your continued prayer and support. Hope to see many of you at our final two matches on Thursday and Friday! Have a great week!
At your ‘service’,
Jared
April 16, 2012
Hello Cedarville tennis fans,
Hope you all have enjoyed this last week. We had a busy week that included a trip to the “bubble”, three tennis matches, and a revolving door.
We played Central State on Tuesday for the second time this season. We had won our previous meeting 9-0 and were confident heading into the match. We won the match with an 8-1 score. Depending on the seeding, we may play Central State again next week at the Ohio Independent Championships (OIC).
On Friday we played Aquinas from Michigan. John and Aaron, both from western Michigan, knew and had played many of the guys from Aquinas. We knew that Aquinas, who was 19-1, would be one of our toughest matches of the year, especially because we were missing Bobby at the usual number two spot. Aquinas was solid all through the lineup and though the 9-0 score may not show it, we played tough in many of our matches. Adam took his opponent to three sets, losing 10-8 in a tie break. There were some pretty amazing moments in the matches also. One happened in mine and Quinton’s match at number two doubles. We were down 7-0 and Aquinas had a match point. I had two overheads and after Aquinas returned one of them, I tried to crush the ball. It sailed three feet deep but amazingly hit the opponent’s foot, giving us the point. We ended up coming back and winning the next three games before being broken to lose 8-3. I was banking on the comeback and then selling the movie rights. I guess there’s always next time.
The next morning we headed to Canton for a match against Malone. Because of the rain, the match got moved indoors to the “bubble”. This bubble is a blown up, airtight sealed giant tarp that is constantly having air pumped into it. We had to enter through a revolving door. The ball definitely flew through the air much quicker than it does outside. We had defeated Malone last year, and they returned many of the same players so we knew what to expect from this team. Because of the situation with the courts, we actually played singles first. We won all six singles in straight sets, giving us the match as we headed into doubles. It was a little more difficult to play doubles for some knowing that we had won the match, but we were able to pull out three wins. We could also see Malone again next week at the OIC’s.
This next week is not only our final week of the regular season, but is also the busiest week we have all season. We play four matches starting with Ohio Dominican on Tuesday at home. On Wednesday we play West Virginia State at home, and on Thursday we travel to Canton again to play Walsh. Saturday we are traveling with the ladies’ team to Indiana for matches against Bethel. This is the first time we’ve traveled with the ladies’ team. It should be a fun trip and a good way to continue to get to know the female tennis players. This week will give us a great opportunity to play teams that are very close to our level of play. We will have to play well, but we can come out of the week with four solid wins.
Please be in prayer for our team as we finish the season and school year. It is easy to stop giving full effort and coast into the summer. Thanks for your continued support!
At your ‘service’,
Jared
April 9, 2012
Hello Cedarville tennis enthusiasts,
It is crazy to think that we are already in the final two weeks of our regular season. The semester and tennis season has flown by, but we we’re all excited for what is in store for the end of our season. We have all returned to campus from our Easter break. It was great to spend some time with family, to take a break from classes, and to focus on Christ’s sacrifice for us.
After practicing last Monday and Tuesday in great weather, we made the trip to Richmond, Indiana for a match against Indiana-East. John found via Twitter that Venus Williams attends Indiana-East through online classes and is an avid supporter of the men’s tennis team. We waited and watched the whole match, but sadly Venus did not make an appearance. We had beaten the Red Wolves last year, so we were feeling good going into the match. Though they had made some serious improvement as a team, we were able to take all the doubles matches and all the singles matches in straight sets. It felt great to get a win in our last match before Easter break. We also enjoyed some delicious chocolate fondue on the way back to Cedarville.
The rest of our week was spent on a much needed Easter break.
This next week we have three matches. Tuesday and Friday we play Central State and Aquinas at home. We already have played Central State once this year and won the match 9-0. The match on Friday versus Aquinas will be a tough match. They are ranked nationally in the NAIA, which will be a great challenge for our team. Saturday we travel to northern Ohio for a match against Malone University.
We appreciate your support and continued prayers for our team and our goal to represent Christ as best we can.
At your ‘service’,
Jared
April 2, 2012
Hello Cedarville tennis crazies,
This past week was a busy one for the team. We had a full week of practice and matches, but again had decent weather for most of it.
After a windy and cold practice (both Ohio norms for March) on Monday, we headed to Colonial Pizza for our team meal and devotions. Over some pizza and subs we discussed the possibility of running a tennis camp for kids in Springfield on a Saturday morning. We came up with ideas for fund raising to pay for the rackets, nets, and balls needed to teach the kids. It is something that we are all really excited for and something we hope will be able to happen this spring.
Tuesday afternoon we played Capital University on our home courts. We defeated them in our final match of the season last year, so we entered the match with confidence. We won all three doubles matches, with number three doubles squeaking out a win in a tie break. In singles, we were excited to have Quinton back in our lineup. We won five out of the six matches, giving us the match victory 8-1. One highlight of the match was at number six singles where Josh was able to frustrate his opponent with his play. We even heard phrases such as “I can’t play pushers” resound from court six. It was good to get a win and play well throughout the match.
We practiced Wednesday and Thursday preparing for our weekend matches. The highlight of Wednesday was destroying Adam’s racket which suffered a crack during practice. We all took turns smashing it and seeing the effects on a racket of a 50 feet flight through the air.
Our match on Friday got moved indoors because of thunderstorms heading our way. We knew very little about Anderson, but we were excited to play. We won all three matches in doubles, with a tough battle being fought at number one doubles. John and Aaron were down 2-5, but came back and won 8-5. We also won all six singles matches in straight sets. After the match we enjoyed the greatest Chinese restaurant that I have ever been too. This buffet included sushi, eel, octopus, and frog legs - which many on the team enjoyed.
We had the privilege of having Jeff Struecker as a chapel speaker this past week. Jeff, a Blackhawk Down veteran, shared his story of not only war, but also his walk with Jesus Christ. It was a great chapel (I would recommend listening to it online). Some of us had not seen the movie Blackhawk Down, so on Friday evening we watched (and some slept through) the movie.
Saturday afternoon West Liberty State made the trip to campus from West Virginia. We knew that West Liberty was a team that would be very similar skill-wise to ours. We won number one and two doubles, 8-3 and 8-2, respectively, but lost at three doubles. We had lots of confidence going in to singles knowing we could win the match with a 3-3 split in singles. Singles matches three through six ended in straight sets with losses at numbers three, four, and five, but a win by Josh at number six singles. Aaron and Bobby both went into a decisive third set. Entering their final sets, we were down 3-4 as a team and needed both wins to claim the match. Though they both fought hard, both lost their matches, continuing our team’s singles struggles. We were disappointed that we lost another match after entering singles leading 2-1, but felt that we had played up and down the lineup the best we had all year.
Shout out to tennis team alum Zach Rost and Brent Martin who braved the cold and were able to watch us play.
With the Final Four games complete, we have a winner in our team’s bracket challenge. With Kansas’ defeat of Ohio State, Jake took first place for the second year in a row. Coach will finish second, and Josh will get place third.
This next week we have four days of class then a much needed break for Easter. It’s crazy to think that we are already at this point in the semester, but it will be great for many to get to head home and spend some time with family. We have one match this week. We travel to Indiana-East (interestingly Venus Williams’ current school), a match we won last year, on Wednesday afternoon.
We’d appreciate your prayers for safe travels as our team will be traveling home for the weekend. Please also be in prayer for the camp that we hope to run. Pray for financial support and an opportunity to run it in the midst of our busy schedule. Thanks for your prayers and support!
At your ‘service’,
Jared
March 26, 2012
Hello Cedarville tennis fans,
We have been enjoying the sunny, above 80 degree weather everyday this past week here in Ohio, where the typical high is around 50. It has allowed us to be outside, working on our tans as well as improving our tennis games.
After our Monday practice we had our weekly team devotions. We discussed all that had happened over spring break and had a chance to reflect on how we had grown closer as a team and to Christ over the week.
After practices on Tuesday and Wednesday, we made the trip Thursday to northern Ohio to play Tiffin University. Anyone who thinks the railroad system is dead should play tennis at Tiffin. Every fifteen minutes for the three-hour match there was a train rumbling and whistling only 30 feet from the courts. It kept things interesting while playing, especially in doubles when you couldn’t hear what your partner was saying from five feet away.
Entering the match, we were excited to see how we would perform against Tiffin; a team we knew was going to be good, but that we would have the chance to beat. In doubles, Aaron and John won in a tie-break at #1 doubles. Bobby and I also won at #2 doubles 8-3. Jake and Adam got off to a slow start and couldn’t overcome the deficit. Entering singles we were up 2-1, but this momentum did not carry over to singles. Bobby won his match at #2 singles, but the other five matches were losses, including a tough fought three-set match by Aaron at #1 singles. Last year it seemed that doubles was a weak point for our team and singles was more of a strength, but as the year progresses, it appears that the two have switched roles. A shout-out to former CU tennis player Caleb Speicher who was able to watch our match. Also a shout-out to Bobby’s mom who was able to see our match before heading back to England.
Our Friday and Saturday plans (practice and a match at Charleston) were both rained out, allowing us sometime to relax and catch up on our school work.
March Madness has continued on and so have our brackets. After the Elite Eight round, Coach Edlund is currently in the lead by almost 100 points over Jake. The game between Ohio State and Kansas will decide the winner. If Kansas wins, Jake will win our group. If Ohio State wins, Coach will win our group. I’m sure there will be lots of hype over this Final Four match-up this week in practice.
This week we have three home matches. We play Capital, Anderson, and West Liberty State on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, respectively. It will be nice to play matches at home, and these are all matches that our team can win. We appreciate your prayers as we continue on in our tennis season and school work! Thanks for your support!
At your ‘service’,
Jared
March 20, 2012
Hello Cedarville tennis followers,
Our first week back from spring break was almost as warm as our time in Florida, but unlike our week in Florida, we all returned to the academic portion of our lives. It is always a shock to see how much there is left to do in the semester, especially with our tennis schedule. It is going to be a busy month and a half.
One big distraction to this much needed studying has been March Madness. As always, our tennis team created a group for our brackets, with the coveted prize of bragging rights. After the first two rounds, Jake is in first place (in the 95th percentile) with David only 10 points back. Adam, who is still mourning his beloved Duke’s first round loss, is sadly in last place, currently in the 3rd percentile.
We began the week with a much needed off day. Tuesday and Wednesday we took full advantage of the beautiful weather and had longer practices, continuing to improve.
Thursday we played nearby Central State University. This was our first home match of the spring season, and we were pleased to have quite a few fans supporting us. We won all nine matches, only losing two games.
Saturday we traveled to Marion, Indiana to play Indiana Wesleyan University. We knew the match would be close and we would need to play our best to win. In doubles, Aaron and John won at number one doubles. Two and three doubles were losses, 8-6 and 8-2. We entered singles down 2-1, but were still confident that we could win the team match. Bobby made quick work of his opponent at #2 singles, squaring the match away at 2-2. Both Adam and Josh lost in close, straight sets. Aaron, Jake, and John all split sets, forcing their opponents into a third set. Aaron and Jake lost tough battles at number one and six singles, but John outlasted his opponent, defeating him 6-1 in the third.
Though we were disappointed in the loss, there were several positives that we could take away from the match. We also had the privilege of Bobby’s mom in attendance at the match. It was great to see her back in the states and to have a chance to talk to her. Thanks to her for the British chocolate bars.
This next week we have two matches, both of which will be tough matches, but ones that we can win. We travel to Tiffin University on Thursday and University of Charleston in West Virginia on Saturday.
We would greatly appreciate your prayers as we continue on in our season. We appreciate prayers for time management and school work. As I said earlier, this part of the year is especially busy with many papers, tests, and projects stacking on top of each other. Please pray that we would stay on top of our work and do the best we can for God’s honor. Please also pray for our testimony as we continue to travel to other schools. We want to represent Christ the best we can everywhere we travel. Thanks for your prayers and support! Have a great week!
At your ‘service’,
Jared
March 13, 2012
Hello Cedarville Tennis Faithful,
Here’s a summary of the rest of our week in sunny Florida. Hope you all enjoy!
Monday (Night) - Our team met for devotions and looked into the topic of “new hope.” We saw that this hope is only through Jesus Christ and is a gift from God. We also heard from our two juniors, Aaron and Quinton. Both shared their life stories and their reasoning behind choosing Cedarville. They also shared some interesting facts about their lives. Quinton was a national champion in homeschool basketball, and Aaron lived in England for some time while growing up.
Tuesday - Tuesday morning we discovered the USA Today in our hotel and enjoyed completing the crossword puzzle as we headed to the courts. After practice and a little relaxation, we headed to supper at “Happiness” - a local Chinese buffet. We learned some Chinese from John (who impressed our waitress) and enjoyed fortune cookies, especially Josh’s, which said, “Your sports team will be very successful soon.” Hopefully that comes true over these next couple of days.
Tonight, we continued in team devotions by looking at “new friendships/relationships.” We discussed what it means to be a true friend and looked at some verses that discussed friendship. This was especially applicable to our team and the many friendships (both new and old) that we have made and strengthened this week. We then heard from fellow sophomores Jake and David. Both love the sport of swimming and competed in high school. Both also love singing, as we learned from this trip. This is especially for David whose favorite song is “Paradise”.
Wednesday - This morning we returned to the Bolles School courts for the last time. After finishing our practice and saying goodbye to the courts, we headed for the beach. It was a sunny and warm day, so it felt good to be able to relax at the beach for awhile. We all made a mad dash for the water - after being in for about 30 seconds I couldn’t feel my legs - and went pretty deep into the waves. At points, I was not sure we would make it back to the beach against the tide, but after some struggling, everyone returned safely to the beach. We made a trip to the pier and then returned to the van to head back to the hotel.
After an Italian food dinner, we met and discussed our “new responsibilities.” We began by listing some responsibilities that we as Christians perform. We discussed that from Adam and Eve onward, we as humans have naturally blamed others when we fail at our responsibilities. We as Christians should not make excuses for our mistakes, but learn from them and improve. Josh and I shared about our lives tonight. Josh returned to his home state, Florida, for spring break and gave us his family heritage. I now know he is 1/16 English, a good fact to have.
Thursday - We left the hotel this morning and headed to Winter Park, a suburb of Orlando. We played Le Moyne College from Syracuse, NY. We basically knew nothing about what to expect from this team, but after doubles we were up 2-1 with wins at number one and two doubles. We headed into singles feeling confident, but didn’t play our best. Bobby and John got wins at numbers two and three, but those were our only singles wins. We lost 5-4, which was disappointing, but we know that it will be great experience for later in the year. A quick shout out to Josh’s mom - who brought us fruit - and five sophomore girls (Joanna, Krista, Elisa, Britt, and Jasmine) who made the trip to Winter Park to support us.
We headed back to Jacksonville to our hotel, but on the way stopped at Sonny’s. We took full advantage of the unlimited sides and had a blast discussing different abbreviations (lots of love vs. laugh out loud, and several others). After stuffing ourselves, we headed back to the hotel and met for our team devotions - tonight speaking about “new priorities.” We talked about being sure that our priorities are in order and that we are putting different pieces of our lives (such as speech, faith, love, etc) in the correct spot. Tonight we heard about Adam and his life growing up in the great state of Maine. It was cool to see God working through His life in bringing him to Cedarville - originally to play soccer, but instead leading him to the tennis team.
Friday - We said goodbye to our hotel early this morning and began our long journey to Due West, South Carolina. After five hours of traveling and a Subway stop, we made it to Erskine University. We were excited for another opportunity to compete against another tennis team. Aaron and John were able to win in a tie break at one doubles, but both two and three doubles lost in close matches. Erskine was much stronger at singles and took all six competitions in straight sets. We again didn’t play our best tennis, but competed much better with this team than we did last year against Erskine.
We piled back into the van and watched Rocky as we headed to our new hotel in Tennessee for the evening. After arriving and getting settled, we met for our final team devotions of the week. We looked at several instances in the Bible that discuss athletics, and how we could apply these principles to our lives and tennis matches. We also heard from John who after applying to eleven schools wasn’t planning on attending Cedarville, but has come to really enjoy it.
Saturday - We got the wonderful opportunity to sleep in this morning and woke up to a mountain view outside our hotel window. After breakfast we headed to Carson-Newman for our last match of spring break. Last year we had lost 8-1, but we were hoping to win more matches and play hard. All three doubles matches were extremely close. John and Aaron lost one doubles 9-7, while Bobby and I lost two doubles 7-5 in a tie break. Three doubles was also close, losing 8-6. The team played hard in singles, but we were not able to come away with a win. We all felt the toll of a week of tennis on our bodies and were excited to be able to head back to Ohio after living the life of a nomad for a week. Before we left, we were able to talk to David’s parents who made the trip from North Carolina and also brought banana bread, which was delicious. We arrived back on campus around 9:15 tonight and enjoyed a little Colonial Pizza before heading our separate ways for the evening.
We had a blast this week getting to know each other better and improving our tennis games. Our matches didn’t turn out the way that we wanted them to, but it was encouraging to see the progress we made. We were able to compete with teams that we weren’t able to last year, and, if we had been playing our best tennis, may have won all three matches.
Looking back, it’s crazy to think that just a little over a week ago we were arriving in warm Florida, ready to enjoy our spring break. So much has changed over this week - both in looks after haircuts and relationships. The guys on this tennis team are hilarious and Christ-focused, and I feel blessed to be a part of this team. I’m excited to see the success our team will have over these next couple of months.
I want to take a second to thank Coach Edlund for all he did in arranging everything with the trip, leading our devotions, and all the driving he did over the week. I can’t imagine managing all of us for a week, but he did a great job leading us throughout the whole trip.
This next week, which amazingly could be as warm as Florida, we have two matches. On Thursday we play Central State at home and travel to Indian Wesleyan on Saturday. Both of these matches should be great opportunities for us to compete and come away with wins. Thanks again for your prayers and support!
At your ‘service’,
Jared
March 5, 2012
Hi Cedarville tennis fans!
We have made it to beautiful, warm Florida! Over the first few days of spring break, I’ve been writing every night about what has happened each day, to make sure I have included good details and don’t try to write about the whole week in one sitting. Enjoy!
Saturday - After 14 hours of driving, we finally made it to Jacksonville! The instant we stepped out of the van, we could feel the difference in the Florida weather. It was windy, but the breeze wasn’t cutting through our shirts and freezing us, but instead brought warmth. We checked into our hotel and enjoyed a dinner at a local restaurant. We returned to the hotel and had our first team devotions and meeting, which has been themed “NEW” for the week. We examined our new ‘change’ that we have experienced through Christ by looking at II Corinthians 5:17. After the meeting, many of us enjoyed different activities like basketball games, euchre, and a 2 a.m. dip in the pool.
Sunday - After a good first night of sleep, we headed to First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, which according to the always reliable Wikipedia is the sixth largest church according to membership in the country. They introduced us to the 5,000 member congregation as the men’s tennis team from Cedarville, which brought conversations that lasted half an hour after the service ended.
After a barbeque lunch, the afternoon was spent napping, swimming, trips to Winn-Dixie, college basketball games, and cards. After our supper, we had our second team meeting, entitled ‘new life’. We discussed the free and undeserved gift of salvation we can accept through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.
Bobby also shared wisdom from his high school and college years and about the next stage in his life. The different ideas and lessons he shared were applicable for our lives and can prepare us for the future. I have loved getting to know Bobby over these two years, and he has helped me both on and off the court many times. He is one of the nicest guys I have ever met, and I will truly miss him next year (thankfully the season is just starting).
Monday - We woke up to beautiful weather, ate a pretty solid hotel breakfast, and headed to the courts at Bolles School, a high school in the area. After warming up for an hour, many of us began competing in challenge matches. We had lunch at the courts after the matches, and hit for awhile before we ran sprints. We got back to the hotel and had a wonderful swim in the pool (which was freezing, but refreshing). Now some have headed to watch a tennis match, others are napping, and I’m finishing up this blog.
It’s been a great start to the week, and we’re excited to continue practicing, building on previous relationships, and playing matches - Orlando on Thursday, South Carolina on Friday, and Tennessee on Saturday. We appreciate your prayers for our team devotions and our continued travel. Thanks for supporting us!
At your ‘service’,
Jared
March 2, 2012
Hello tennis enthusiasts!
It’s crazy to think that we’re starting this spring tennis season already. It seems like just yesterday I was finishing up my fall blog and preparing to head out for fall break. Over four months later, I’m prepping to head off to the sunny, warm state of Florida for a week. A lot has happened over these last months, but I’m hoping to give a rundown of the important stuff.
During the offseason, our team has done many different things to stay connected to each other. Many of us began a lifting regimen that was entitled “Getting Huge with David Barton”. David led us typically four days a week through different lifts, but it wasn’t all serious lifting. There were many great quotes that came from this time including, “My chest just feels so puffy,” “Should I lift more weight with my left arm so that it will equal my right arm’s strength,” and lastly “Have you guys ever lifted before?” Though there were lots of great times, the lifting has helped improve our speed and power, which has translated onto the court.
Our team also enjoyed playing some basketball this offseason. Our intramural basketball team didn’t fair so well in the intramural arena… We finished 0-5, but showed lots of improvement throughout the season and had a blast while playing.
We also have been growing spiritually together during this offseason. Over the past few months, our team chaplain, Dr. Lewis, has been leading us through team devotionals about leadership. We have been challenged through several different examples, such as the documentary Freedom Riders, to view leadership through God’s eyes as not only someone who pushes others to accomplish goals, but does in following after God’s wisdom. We as a team are looking to exercise our leadership muscle through different opportunities on campus and in the community.
We began practicing in late January both in the fieldhouse here on campus and also at different racket clubs in the area. It was great to get back into the swing of things and to get the opportunity to play again.
Last Friday, our team played our first match of the spring season against Southern Indiana, one of the best teams we’ll face this season. Though the score might not show it, we played really well for the opportunities we had to practice. Our team had lots of great points, but couldn’t string those points together to get the games. In doubles, Bobby and I lost 5-8 at two doubles, the closest of the doubles matches. We had several good singles matches, but couldn’t pull any of them out. Shout out to Josh who made his collegiate debut at number six singles.
Tomorrow morning we begin the 14 hour journey to Jacksonville, Florida. We will be doing the 2nd annual head shaving tonight which for some (freshmen…) is a little nerve-racking. We’ll arrive to our hotel in Florida late Saturday night, and Sunday head to church and enjoy our last relaxing day before the tennis begins. Monday through Wednesday, we’ll be playing challenge matches, allowing us to figure out the line up. Thursday we head to Orlando to play Le Moyne. Friday and Saturday we will exit the state of Florida for matches in South Carolina and Tennessee.
We’d appreciate your prayers as we travel, that we would have safety and enjoy the 14 hour ride. Please also being praying for our team devotions and that we would represent Christ as we practice and play. Thanks for your support of the team. I’m excited for this season and the possibilities our team has not only in competition, but also in our friendships and outreach.
At your ‘service’,
Jared
October 10, 2011
Hello Cedarville tennis fans!
Hope you had a great week enjoying the beautiful weather. The weather at the ‘Ville this week has been awesome, especially for October. It has been in the high 70’s all week with lots of sun. We were able to get outside and finish our last week of fall tennis.
After a five-day break, we finished our match versus Wilmington on Tuesday. We had finished doubles the Thursday before, but restarted and finished all of the singles matches. We came out with a 9-0 overall win, only giving up seven games in the singles portion of the match. Josh Van Zandt continued his game streak which is now up to 32 straight games won.
After practice on Wednesday and Friday, we faced Indianapolis University on Saturday afternoon. We knew they would be a solid team, but we were hoping to compete well. We got our one win of the day at number one doubles with John and Aaron, who won 9-7. Number two doubles of Aaron and Quinton came back from a 1-7 deficit to lose 5-8. Those two matches were some of the best displays of doubles that I have seen since being at Cedarville. This high quality will hopefully carry over into the spring. In singles, John was the closest to a win with a three-set loss, the first defeat of his collegiate career. It was disappointing to lose our last match of the fall, but also exciting to see the level of play that we are capable of.
We also got the privilege of seeing Kyle DeBoer at our match on Saturday. He was in the area for a wedding and his father-in-law’s birthday party and stopped by. It was great to talk with him, but unfortunately he didn’t have time to get on the courts. We all miss the signature hatchet shot.
After the match we headed to Coach’s house for some Colonial Pizza. While waiting for the pizza we played some corn hole, in which Jake and I were leading Drew and John when the game was postponed due to the pizza arrival. It was a great last hurrah for the team during this fall season.
There are many ways our team is planning to stay connected during these winter months. We are planning on playing some b-ball once a week in the afternoon, as well as our annual intramural team. We will also begin our meetings once a week with Dr. Lewis, our team chaplain, once he returns from Kenya, to dig deeper into God’s Word. Many on the team are also going to meet together to workout and hopefully get in better shape and start the next season looking more like David Barton.
It has been my pleasure to serve up the news in men’s tennis this fall. Because our matches are over for the fall, I’m pretty sure I’m going to take a break from the blogging. A blog during the winter months would contain the snow measurements and complaints about the cold here in Cedarville, but I will be return to the blogging when we pick things up again next late February or early March. Thanks again for your support and I hope you enjoy the winter months!
At your ‘service’,
Jared
October 3, 2011
Hello CU Tennis Fans,
Hope you all had a great week. The theme this week here in Cedarville was rain. We were able to get in half a match out of our three scheduled activities of the week.
We had originally planned to host Wilmington on Tuesday evening, but after viewing the forecast, it was moved to Thursday. We began play on Thursday knowing that storms were headed our way. We made it through the three doubles matches (with only a small rain delay) with three wins. Aaron began playing his singles match at number one and had won the first set and was about to go up 5-2 in the second when the match was called because of rain. John also had begun his match at three singles and had won the first set 6-0 without giving up a single point earning him a "golden set". He had finally surrendered a point in the third game of the second set before that match was also called off of the courts. We will be finishing that match on Tuesday of this week.
On Wednesday, we were supposed to play Central State, but found out they wouldn’t be able to make it. We had practice that day which also was interrupted by rain. We practiced through the rain playing short court tennis and mini-dingles before it started to pour. We all went our separate directions soaked.
After practice was cancelled on Friday due to the rain, we were ready for Homecoming Weekend and the alumni match scheduled for Saturday afternoon. There were several alum that had returned ready to get on the courts and play some tennis. Unfortunately, the rain and cold weather kept us off the courts. We did get the chance to chat a little and eat some cookies in the warmth of the Athletic Center.
My parents were able to make the trip from Iowa for Homecoming Weekend, as well as two of my siblings and their spouses. It was great to spend the weekend with them and have a relaxing time.
The weather looks much more promising this week with highs in the 70’s and no signs of rain. Hopefully this holds true (though with forecasts you never know). We will be finishing our match at home with Wilmington this Tuesday as well as playing Indianapolis at home on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. to close out our fall schedule. Hopefully this last week of tennis for this semester will be a great one in which we get two wins. Hope you all have a great week!
At your ‘service’,
Jared
September 26, 2011
Hello Cedarville tennis enthusiasts! I hope your week was a great one as fall became the official season on Friday. This past week was a great and fun week for our team.
On Tuesday we notched our first win of the season. We defeated Otterbein University 8-1. We won all three doubles and five of the six singles. This win did not come without drama though. John at #3 won in a three set match and had six match points while being ahead 9-3 in the third set tie-break. He allowed his opponent to win several points in a row and had to save two match points before finally capitalizing on his eighth match point. At #4, Adam played the longest game in the history of tennis. John’s match finished two games and the whole third set tie-break in the time it took to finish a game in Adam’s match. Adam also went to a third set tiebreak and when he was up 9-3, did not follow in John’s footsteps, but instead won on his first match point.
Friday afternoon brought rain, so instead of the normal tennis practice many of us played some basketball. We played some pretty competitive four-on-four and ended with a couple games of knock out. It was pretty scrappy at times, but overall was a blast. It was also great practice for our intramural basketball team which will make its debut early in 2012. It also brought about the idea of continuing to play basketball once a week during the offseason just to spend some time together as a team ballin’ it up.
This next week we have a home match against Wilmington College on Thursday. The girls will be playing at the same time and same place as us on Thursday which will be a good chance for us to support each other. Hopefully the rain will hold off and we will be able to play those matches. We appreciate your continued support throughout this fall season.
At your ‘service’,
Jared
September 19, 2011
Hello Cedarville tennis fans,
Hope you all had an enjoyable week. I must start off with a correction. It has been brought to my attention that I have been misspelling freshman “John” (Isner) Filcik. It has an ‘h’ in the first name, so I apologize.
In the world of tennis, our week started with practice and a U.S. Open Men’s Final party at Coach Lewis’ house. We had pizza and watched with astonishment, and to the dismay of many, Djokovic win his third major of the year defeating Rafa in four sets.
Tuesday we played Wittenberg at our home courts. We had high hopes going into the match, but Wittenberg had gotten some new talent and came ready to play. We got two wins in the match at No. 2 singles with Bobby and No. 3 singles with John (spelt correctly).
Four days later (on Saturday) we headed north to the University of Findlay. We were missing Bobby and Drew (both who normally play in the lineup) so we knew that we were in an uphill battle to win. We came out of doubles down 2-1, with Aaron and John winning at one doubles. John (at #2 singles) and Mike (at #6 singles) both won their matches, leaving us with a 6-3 loss. We were disappointed in the loss, but felt we had played well given the circumstances.
Throughout the trip to and from Findlay, the tale of the rise to tennis power at John and Aaron’s high school was told to the wonder and amazement of all.
This next week we have a home match on Tuesday versus Otterbein. We are hoping to get our first win of the fall season and to continue playing well. We appreciate your support!
At your ‘service’,
Jared
September 12, 2011
Hello tennis fans,
After the three-day weekend we were all ready to get back on the courts and make improvements to our games, but the weather had a different plan. We were rained out on Tuesday and Wednesday, but Thursday (after some squeegyeeing done by Adam and Coach) we were able to get on the courts and do some hitting. For many of us, it was the first opportunity to return to the courts since our match at Taylor.
Not only did it rain here in Cedarville, but it also rained in Flushing Meadows, the home of the U.S. Open. This meant no study time could be spent watching (and getting inspiration from) some professional tennis, putting a major damper on the procrastination.
Thankfully it didn’t rain all week in New York. Some of the team met up with the girl’s team on Sunday afternoon and watched the U.S. Open women’s final. We enjoyed some freshly-baked cookies with milk and watched as American Serena Williams (who we all thought would win) got beat in straight sets. Several on our team also enjoyed the inspirational run of American tandem Sock and Oudin all the way to the mixed double championships where they were victorious.
This next week should be an exciting week. The week will start off with practice then move to pizza and the U.S. Open men’s final later in the evening. Then Tuesday is our first home match versus Wittenberg. We will continue practicing and Saturday we travel to the University of Findlay for our third match of this fall season. Thanks for you continued support and we hope to see as many of you as possible at home on Tuesday against Wittenberg!
At your service,
Jared
September 6, 2011
Hello CU tennis fans. Hope this last week has been a great one for you all.
Our fall season began last Friday as we headed to Upland, Indiana to face Taylor University. After a week of practice, we were looking forward to finally seeing a different team across the net.
After the two and a half hour drive, which included spring break discussion, a bathroom break, and a detour, we finally arrived to play some tennis. Doubles went 1-2, with the number one team of Bobby and Aaron defeating their opponents handily.
After starting singles it was clear that the two freshmen, Adam and Jon, came ready to play in their first college singles matches. Jon won his match at No. 3 with his awe-inspiring backhand, while Adam lost a heartbreaker under the lights that went late into the night. The rest of the team went 1-3 in singles with Aaron also winning his singles match.
After the match we were disappointed in the loss, but understood that for one week of practice we had competed well. It also helped us realize how much farther we have to go before we can reach our full potential. We headed to eat and then made the trek home listening to Drew and Q sing from the backseat. We made it back to campus around midnight, with everyone ready to hit the sack and glad for the three day weekend.
This week we also enjoyed having Dr. Lewis share a little about the direction that our team devotions will head this year. Another highlight of this meeting was birthday cake, which was brought by the girl’s tennis team. They had three birthdays (Brooke, Lily, and Lyndsay) and invited us to the party.
Our next match is a week from Tuesday at the Johnson-Murdoch Tennis Complex against Wittenberg. This full week of practice should help get rid of any of the kinks in our games and should give us a chance to improve together as a team.
At your ‘service’,
Jared
August 30, 2011
Hey everyone. I’m Jared Gerber, a sophomore on the tennis team, and I will be serving up the insights and happenings of the Cedarville University men’s tennis team this year.
The summer has ended, and the guys have returned to campus excited for a new school year and tennis season. Since returning we have practiced three times as a team, getting back into the groove of balancing practice, school work, classes, a social life, and our walks with Christ.
We have two seniors, Bobby Eberhard and Mike Clark, who have already begun leading us through practices. Aaron Niemiec, Quinton Paul, and Josh Van Zandt, all juniors, are poised to have another strong showing this year. Returning sophomores are Drew Steinhart, Jake Miller, Corey Whitlock, David Barton, and myself.
We are also excited to have our team chaplain, Dr. Jeff Lewis, joining us again. He is excellent at challenging us through our team devotions, as well as giving on court pointers.
We have also added two new members to the team, Adam Levesque and John Filcik, coming from Maine and Michigan respectively. They are both great additions to the team whose play will bolster our lineup.
This year we will miss our two graduated seniors, Kyle Kirby and Kyle DeBoer. They were not only great tennis players, but great teammates. Their humor and leadership will be missed this season.
Another change will be the continuing transition to NCAA DII. This switch not only brings about many rule changes, but also creates tougher competition for our team. Though it may be a tough year with the new changes, we are ready to face it.
This next week will involve a lot of intense practices and figuring out the lineup before our match this Friday at Taylor in Indiana. This fall season is going to be a great time for our team to grow closer together, as well as digging into God’s Word as a team. I am excited to see what God is going to teach each one of us and how he will work in our lives.
At your service,
J-Rod
Jared Gerber is a Dean's List student as a sophomore majoring in biology from Pella, Iowa.
