01/15/09 - HTA Send Six to Winter Nationals
The Herrmann Tennis Academy was represented by six players at the USTA National Winter Championships held in Arizona at the end of 2008. Eric Marbach, Sam Hoogland, Jalen Evans, Jeremy Bush, Ben Hoogland, and Brantner Jones each competed in the prestigious event.
Boys’ 12s & 14s - Tuscan
  Marbach (B14) and Sam Hoogland (B12) had the top showings, as each advanced to the round of 32 in their respective draws. Marbach made short work of his first two opponents beating Los Angeles’ Alex Giannini 6-2, 6-4 and Alabama’s Adam Lue 6-1, 6-0. In his third match Marbach fell to Boys’ 14 dynamo Trey Daniel 6-2, 6-1. In the backdraw, Marbach dropped a tough 1-6, 6-0, 6-3 match to Alex Ball of California.
“Eric had his best results at a 14’s National Championship in Arizona,” noted HTA Director Ernie Katko. “His excellent commitment to both on and off court training is paying dividends.”
Marbach teamed up with Jack Haffey in doubles action and made it to the round of 16 before falling to the fourth-seeded duo of Joesph Di Giulio and Thomas Pura 6-0, 6-3.
Hoogland, the seventeenth seed, dropped his first set of the tournament 5-7 to Eric Wagner, before storming back and taking the next two sets 6-0, 6-4 to advance to the second round. Sam cruised against Austin Walker, winning 6-2, 6-0 to face fourteenth seed Zach Lieb in the round of 32.  Hoogland fell 6-4, 6-2 to move to the backdraw, where he lost  6-4, 6-1 to end his tournament run.
Jalen Evans (B12) lost a tight first round battle 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 to Nikolas Ramadan and then dropped his next two matches in straight sets. He won his fourth and fifth matches with ease before falling to Gabriel Pilones 6-2, 6-2 to end his tournament run in the compass draw.
Jeremy Bush (B14) went 0-2 in the Boys’ 14 draw, narrowly losing each match. In his first round contest he lost 7-5, 7-5 and in his second round bout he fell 1-6, 6-4, 7-6(4).
USTA National Winter Championships 12s & 14s Tournament Site
Boys’ 16s & 18s - Phoenix
 Brantner Jones (B16) lost his first match in three sets to the 26th seed Patrick Kawka, before defeating Andrew Gores 6-4, 6-2. He finished his tournament with a 6-2, 6-4 loss to Vikram Hundal.
Ben Hoogland (B18) lost each of his two contests in the tournament, with his closest match being his 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 loss to Nebraska’s Eric Sock.
USTA National Winter Championships 16s & 18s Tournament Site
  HTA Director Ernie Katko joined the Boys’ 12s & 14s in Tuscan and Special Advisor and Coach Paul Torricelli coached Hoogland in Phoenix.
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