Mustang and two Gators ready for state tourney

Gregg Strange of Mitchell and Kyle Staiger and Vu-Anh Thai of Land O'Lakes compete in 3A.

By STEVE LEE, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published April 28, 2003

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LAND O'LAKES - A trip to the Class 3A state tournament with just his doubles partner was not what Kyle Staiger wanted. It would have been better if all his Land O'Lakes teammates came.

Staiger, a junior transfer from Daytona Beach and the Gators' No.2 singles player, competes in the state tourney that begins today in Altamonte Springs. Joining him is Vu-Anh Thai, the Gators' top singles player.

Since Land O'Lakes lost the 3A, Region 4 match Friday, 4-1 to Lakeland George Jenkins, Staiger and Thai will not be accompanied by their teammates. Instead, they are going as a No.1 doubles duo after winning the 3A, District 7 title.

"They just got one more ball back every time," Staiger said of his and Thai's singles losses against Jenkins' No.3 Jaryd Billups and No.1 Chris Caswell, respectively. "They hit hard."

Staiger and Thai never finished their No.1 doubles match with Billups and Caswell due to a rainout. Jenkins was declared the winner, ending the season for a Land O'Lakes team that finished 18-1 with Sunshine Athletic Conference and 3A-7 titles.

Gators coach Karen Turman lauded her team after the best season in school history.

"These guys were motivated," she said. "Once they started winning there was no looking back."

Continuing on without their teammates, Staiger said, "gives us something to play for at states."

District singles champion Staiger and Thai, a district runner-up, head into state 12-0 in No.2 doubles.

Mitchell coach Jim Smith, who watched the Land O'Lakes-Jenkins match, said Staiger "really made that program. He's a better player than some of the No.1s in Pasco County."

But not all No.1s. Thai lost the district final to the county's top player, Mitchell's Gregg Strange.

Strange, a sophomore and two-time district champion, bowed out of last year's state tournament in the second round after drawing a bye. Strange and Richard Grimberg (who graduated last year) also were eliminated in their first doubles match at state last year.

Smith does not expect his top player to challenge for a state title, with Strange playing in a brace on his right knee after recovering from off-season surgery.

"Maybe by his junior or senior year he'll have his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) healed," Smith said.

Noting Strange's two losses after byes last year at state, Smith prefers that his player get no byes.

"Basically, I hope he doesn't, because that would give him a little more confidence to go up there and get a win against somebody," Smith said. "Not that it will be easy, because they're all district winners."

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