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06/25/2014 12:00 AMHand boys' tennis has shown tremendous dominance the past few seasons and, on a solo level, David Schulz has proven unstoppable on the SCC circuit.
The senior came into this year undefeated in regular season play as both a sophomore and junior. Nothing changed for his sendoff campaign as David completed his third straight unblemished season-clinching the SCC Division I title for the Tigers against Amity, taking home SCC Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors, and reaching the quarterfinals of the Class L meet for the state champs.
"It was never something I expected, but I just stepped it up going into sophomore year," says David on the streak. "It also came with steady improvement and the result of our team's depth. I started playing more in the winter with indoor clinics and just playing year-round. I also stepped up my conditioning going into this year and it paid off."
David says that as the regular season wound down this spring, the thoughts of keeping perfection intact crept into his mind, although he reports that one big asset in tennis is having a one-track mind in all sorts of rough spots.
"The streak became more of a factor later on because there weren't as many matches to go, but I knew one lapse in focus would blow it," David says. "My last few matches were tentative and tight, yet you have to have a solid foundation to rely on and know you will make the important point. If you get down, you let your opponent play the long points because they eventually choke and let you back into it."
With Hand in a 3-3 deadlock against Amity in the SCC DI final this year, it was all on David to notch the final and crown-clinching match for the Tigers.
"At that point, I was trying to not be tight and just relax. It was my last-ever team match, so I just wanted to enjoy the moment," says David, who prevailed over Amity's Ethan Bershtein 7-6, 10-8. "It meant a lot to be named Most Outstanding Player because, up until that moment, I never had a moment with a whole match on my shoulders. I've been working hard so it was nice to see it pay off."
Head Coach Dawn Fagerquist adds that her No. 3 soloist holds all the right on-court characteristics to accomplish such a strong string of personal success.
"David came through again for us; he's just calm, smart, and shows no emotion," says Fagerquist. "He just has a little bit more force when he's out there."
The final run got even sweeter for David with the Tigers capturing the outright Class L state championship after sharing it with Fairfield Warde last season to close out what has been nothing but a fun and memorable ride for David.
"Last year, we got everything but the sole state title so I was missing that from my high school career. This year, we knew we were stronger and that it was possible to win," says David, who thanks Fagerquist and Hand assistant coach Matt Totora, along with his Guilford Racquet Club coaches. "Everyone came through for us and playing for Hand was an overall competitive atmosphere. I always had solid options and practice time, which helps you develop as a player. We were a tight team that got along. It was a great experience."
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