By Alex Zener
Alex Lawson, a 2012 Corona graduate and two-time Arizona state Division I tennis champion in both single and doubles, has been selected as an All-American for his performances this season playing for the University of Notre Dame by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association on June 4.
“Being named an All-American is an incredible honor, and being able to represent my school in this way is an amazing feeling,” said Lawson. “It’s really the culmination of not just four years of hard work, but my whole life.”
Lawson, who recently graduated from Notre Dame with a degree in marketing, was a four-year starter for the Fighting Irish and team captain his senior year.
He is only the 19th Notre Dame men’s tennis player to be named an All-American in the school’s 93-year history.
During his tennis career at Notre Dame, Lawson, who played both singles and doubles, seemed to find his calling in the doubles game, where he was ranked as high as No. 4 nationally and was consistently in the top 20.
He left his mark in the Fighting Irish’s records book with his doubles play, winning 94 of his 149 collegiate doubles matches with a different partner each year. His 63.1% winning record made him the second-winningest doubles player in school history.
In his final collegiate season, Lawson and his doubles partner, Quentin Monaghan, won 21 regular season collegiate matches qualifying for the NCAA Doubles Tennis tournament.
Lawson had qualified the previous two years as well with two different partners.
Lawson and Monaghan made it all the way to the NCAA semi-finals before losing to a doubles team from UCLA. They finished the season ranked No. 10 nationally.
“My senior season was full of career highlights,” said Lawson. “Finally achieving All-American status and making the final four in the individual NCAA tournament was great, but my favorite memory is winning the clinching singles match at home on senior night against the No. 1 ranked team in the country, University of North Carolina.”
Lawson, who will turn professional this summer, plans to concentrate on doubles. No word on who his partner will be.
“I’m really looking forward to the whole experience of playing professionally,” said Lawson—“life on the road, competing against world-class opponents, playing at world class events and competing in grand slams. I’m really excited about everything right now.”
Lawson’s professional career can be followed on his blog: lawsontennis.wordpress.com.
McClintock Track & Field — Abdi Aden competed in three events for the Chargers at the Division II state track meet held in May at Mesa Community College. Taking third in the 1600 meters was his best finish but he also placed 17th in both the 800 and 3200 meters.
Aden’s time of 4:27.29 in the 1600 meters moved him up the ranks to No. 6 in the top 10 times in Division II in 2016.
McClintock’s 4×100 relay team of Jack White, Deiontay Dozier, Midhaga Gerado and Albertsons Lindor crossed the finish line in seventh place with a time of 43.55.
Dozier ran at state in the 100 meters and 200 meters but did not make it into the finals. He did break McClintock school records in both events during the 2016 season with a time of 11.26 in the 100 meters and a time of 22.47 in the 200 meters. Lindor is second in the 200 meters for the 200 meters with a time of 22.75 and second in the 100 meters with a time of 11.30.
The McClintock girls team qualified athletes in four events at the state track meet.
Linnique Carroll took sixth place in the 100 meters with a time of 12.75 which was .14 slower than her fastest time of 12.61 that she ran at the 13th Annual Hohokam Invitational which gave her a No. 9 ranking in the Top 10 Division II for that event in 2016. It was at the Hohokam that Carroll also set a school record in the 100 meters.
Carroll ran the second leg of the 4×100 relay team of Zy’Nique Simpson, Carrol, Kennidee Hill and Sophia Bruckner who finished sixth at the state meet.
Their time of 50.06 in the prelims not only set a new school record but it bumped them up to No. 7 in the Top 10 Division II times in 2016.
Sophia Bruckner qualified for the 200 meters in the state meet. Her time of 27.01 in the prelims was not fast enough to qualify her for the finals. Tianna Baker placed 17th in the 800 meters.
Tempe High Track & Field—
Tempe’s girls team took 22 out of 34 Division II teams at the state track meet held May 4 at Mesa Community College.
Senior Ryann Weathers finished her high school career with a second place finish with a jump of 36-11.00 in the triple jump and a 12th place finish with a long jump of 16-08.50.
Weathers triple jump just one inch short of 37 feet propelled her into the No. 2 spot in the Top 10 2016 Division II rankings and gave her a spot on the All-Tribune Honorable Mention team.
Danyella Miranda took 12th place at the state meet in the 800 meters while Joslyn Murrillo qualified and ran in the 100-meter hurdles prelims.
Earlier in the season, Murrillo had broken a school record with a time of 16.57 in the same event.
Morgan Boyd competed in two field events at the DII state meet placing 17th in the Discus with a 90-00 throw and 22nd in the shotput with a 31-11.50 put.
The Buffaloes qualified five athletes for the DII state track meet.
Elliott King placed 18th in the discus with a throw of 127-01.
Tony Tipton was 20th in the 800 meters and Nate Manley qualified for and competed in the 400 meters.
Ivory Williams, Anthony Steele, Tipton and Manley competed in the 4×400 relay prelims but did not qualify for the finals.
One school was broken in 2016 when Williams ran the 300 meter hurdles with a time of 42.28. It broke the school record time of 42.59 held by Chris Choppa since 2009.
Tipton’s time of 1:58.65 at the North East Valley Championships April 25 moved him up to No. 7 in the Top 10 Division II 2016 rankings.
More track & Field — Marcos de Niza all-around track and field athlete Marcus Naisant was selected to the Tribune Boys Track and Field first team for his performance this season in the triple jump event.
Naisant jumped 45-feet-10.5 inches at the Division II state championships and is ranked No. 6 among all-Arizona athletes in this even for 2016.
Corona’s Jacob Onofrio was named to the same first team in the 1600 meter run event and Mitchell Warnock was selected to the second team for the pole vault.
Josh Onwardi received honorable mention.
Corona’s girls team had two athletes and a relay selected to the second team. Jackie Martin was chosen for the 400 meter run while Renee Payne for the 800 meter run.
Corona’s 4×400 relay team of Martin, Melissa Hayhurst, Payne and Isabelle Cartegena was picked for the team as well.
