By Marc Raimondi
When one thinks of Bryant athletics, the first things that jump to mind are Wally Hausdorf’s softball team and John Demas’ boys’ basketball team. Lately, Rocco Rotondi’s baseball team has emerged as a force, too.
But last Thursday, both Bryant tennis teams — the girls and the boys — were represented in the PSAL Class B city championships at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing.
“It came out of nowhere,” said Alisa Jaganjac, who plays second singles for the girls’ squad. “Everybody is gonna wake up tomorrow and hear the announcements (over the school PA system), all tennis, tennis, tennis.”
The top-seeded Owls girls won the city crown with a 3-2 victory against East New York Family Academy — their first-ever championship after going to the finals last year. The No. 4-seeded Bryant boys fell to Manhattan Center, 3-2, advancing to the finals a year after not making the playoffs last season.
“I hope somebody begins to see that we’re doing something at Bryant,” Bryant girls’ tennis coach Angel Salazar.
Jaganjac won at second singles, Marta Armatys and Ranjeet Kaur were victorious at first doubles and Aldiana Jakupovic and Margherita Farruggio won at second doubles. Last year, the Owls ladies were ahead of the HS of American Studies at Lehman College in the finals, but rain postponed the event midway through and Bryant couldn’t keep its momentum three days later.
“It was the longest nine months that I’ve experienced,” Salazar said. “This year it feels even better.”
After the win, Salazar promised his players a bake sale to raise funds for new uniforms and road trips. Previously, they were paying their own way for all tennis expenses. Jaganjac and her teammates didn’t take all the credit, though. They learned a lot from their male counterparts.
“We couldn’t have done it without the guys’ team,” she said.
Sophomore Daniel Jerlimov won at second singles, as did Andi Muskaj and Anthony Galinda at first doubles in the loss. Falling in the finals was hardly disappointing to a team which wasn’t supposed to be there in the first place.
“You gotta put this all into perspective,” boys’ coach Fred Dreier said. “I didn’t expect us to go as far as we did this year.”
Reach Associate Sports Editor Marc Raimondi by e-mail at mraimondi@timesledger.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 130.
