East Meadow wins a dozen

Though East Meadow was denied a second Conference 3A boys’ tennis title in three seasons when its impressive 11-match winning streak was put to an end last week by eventual champion Glen Cove, the Jets will take away plenty of positives.

“Our expectations were high and it’s disappointing to miss the playoffs, but we’re happy with the season,” Jets coach Justin Szwejkowski said. “There are some quality teams out there. We beat Glen Cove and Oyster Bay 4-3 the first time around and they both came back and played great against us in the rematch.”

East Meadow closed the campaign on a winning note after the back-to-back losses, knocking off Hicksville on Monday to finish with a 12-2 record. The mark was a role reversal from a year ago when the Jets had a difficult time in Conference 2A and went 2-12. “I’m not sure where we’ll be next season, but whatever conference we’re in we plan to be competitive,” Szwejkowski said.

Two singles players will return and a host of others will be vying for the spot vacated by this year’s No. 1, senior Johnny McGrath. Of McGrath’s five wins this spring, the biggest came April 17 against Glen Cove’s Will Casale to help the Jets squeeze out the victory. “Johnny played third singles as a sophomore, second singles as a junior and he was our top guy this year,” Szwejkowski said. “It’s tough to score points against him. He’s steady and covers a lot of court.”

Sophomores Michael Ettinger and Lucas Mun played No. 2 and 3 singles, respectively, after starting in the doubles lineup last season. Ettinger used his blistering first serve and solid baseline strokes to win 10 of his first 13 matches. “Michael has the ability to hit hard and hit spots,” Szwejkowski said. “He puts away a lot of winners.”

Mun worked his way up the depth chart from fourth doubles and earned eight wins. “Lucas made major strides in his game,” Szwejkowski said. “He has nice touch and spin on his shots. He’s athletic and does a good job of keeping points in play.”

Mun’s former doubles partner, sophomore Ryan Schneebaum, also rose up the ladder and meshed with senior Matthew Coen at first doubles. They registered double digits in victories. “They play unbelievable together,” Szwejkowski said. “They were on the same page right from the start. Ryan’s placement with shots is tremendous and Matt has a first serve that’s difficult to return.”

East Meadow dominated at second and fourth doubles, suffering just one loss in each spot. Junior Mat Vinson and freshman Vinit Patel formed a stellar No. 2 pair, while sophomore Jacob Haley and freshman Eric Iline proved quick learners and key contributors. Third doubles featured a rotation, with juniors Shane Weiner and Julian Quaresima enjoying the most success.

“The weather was tough early in the season, but we bundled up and played through the elements,” Szwejkowski said. “I think that helped us along the way.”