ALAINA PANGELINA | staff writer
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Alaina Pangelina
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| Sophomores DANIEL MOORE, CASEY WETZIG, and junior DANNY COLTEN (left to right) all attended Cheyenne Mountain High School in Colorado before playing tennis together at APU. |
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Great records and team players are two key ingredients for a tennis team with eyes looking forward to nationals. Yet skill and talent in addition to a cohesive and close-knit group of friends are what make tennis teams stand out even more.
“APU tennis definitely defines what it means to be a team,” sophomore communications major Casey Wetzig said.
Wetzig is in her second year on the women’s tennis team, playing singles, where she currently ranks second.
“We don’t just play tennis together, we’re friends too,” sophomore international business major Daniel Moore said.
Moore plays both doubles and singles for the men’s tennis team.
“We all relate to each other and are growing up together and are great friends,” junior business administration major Danny Colten said.
Colten plays singles and is a starter on the men’s tennis team.
Wetzig, Moore, and Colten have more in common than just playing for Azusa Pacific tennis.
All three played high school tennis together at Cheyenne Mountain High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado before these musketeers found their individual paths leading them to becoming Cougars.
Colten was the first to come to Azusa Pacific. He was set to go to University of Northern Colorado but was not thoroughly happy with the decision because of the location and because the coach was not as interested.
“It was close to May…and [my best friend from high school] Taylor Jessup said ‘Come look at APU. We’ve got a good tennis team,’” Colten said.
At that time in 2005, men’s tennis was ranked second in the nation, so Colten called Coach Mark Bohren, and came for a visit.
School was out, but people were still on campus and Colten went on a tour.
“I fell in love with the campus, the people, everything,” Colten said.
Colten then changed his decision and decided to attend Azusa and is now a starting player on the team who continues to improve.
“[Colten] is working hard and is a great [player] and is now starting for the team as a junior,” Bohren said.
Bohren said the same of Moore, who is currently ranked third in singles on Azusa Pacific’s team.
Moore used to live in Japan and played tennis there, where he first heard of Azusa Pacific.
“A friend of mine from Japan went to APU and I first heard of it from her,” Moore said. “I then visited Danny [Colten] and Taylor Jessup there and even stayed with them [for the visit.]”
Right before Moore decided on Azusa Pacific, Wetzig also committed to becoming a Cougar after her coach in Colorado suggested Azusa Pacific.
Wetzig was ready to attend either University of Denver or Wofford College in South Carolina when she visited APU.
“I visited here and got to play with the team--there was no comparison. Plus, it was a Christian school and I loved the coach. Just overall it looked great,” Wetzig said.
A great element that brought the three to becoming Cougars is the mutual respect between the players and Coach Bohren.
“[Bohren] was everything I was looking for in a coach: positive and caring for both the team and their academics,” Wetzig said.
Bohren equally appreciates having the three on the team, through their skills, hard work, and the personality they bring to the team.
“Casey has a great personality, a good team leader and good character,” Bohren said, “Her game’s getting better and is now in the top quarter of the league.”
During her high school years, Wetzig won state tennis championships and was a most valuable player who was being looked at to be recruited from many Division I schools.
The challenges of the game also increase at the college-level, but it is welcomed.
“There really aren’t any real easy matches [in college],” Moore said. “But now it’s tough. I [still] love it. It’s good being a part of a real team.”
The players also love the solo part in addition to the community within the teams.
“It’s just you. No one to blame [if you lose] but yourself. [If you win] you get to pat yourself on the back,” Colten said.
The key here, is coming back together as friends at the end of the day.
“They are very connected,” Coach Bohren said, “They go out together…and hang out after [the match] together.”
The tennis team is now halfway through the season.
Both men’s and women’s tennis will play at home against Emory University, Thursday, March 12.
