Kujawa takes the lead

Fresh from a starring role last fall on the soccer pitch, Prospect senior Tom Kujawa appears ready to prove his credentials on the tennis courts.

A rare two-sport star, Kujawa is a shining example of the type of true team leader every coach desires. The varsity veteran gives the Knights superb play at No. 1 singles and provides excellence as team captain.

"On top of everything Tom gives to this team with his talent as our top player," coach Rick Huffman said, "he is the type of person who will go out and hit with anyone (after practice), work on a court position, or a certain grip or pivot ... just anything to help that player improve.

"Tom sets a terrific example to others with his work ethic on and off the court and having him around such a young group of players that we have is like having another assistant coach out there every day."

Two years ago, as a sophomore, Kujawa would find himself bumped to the No. 2 position after Bojan Tomunovic came in as a transfer to handle those chores for the Mid-Suburban East co-champs.

Kujawa would later take second-place honors at the MSL tourney, then one year later third overall after falling to eventual conference champ Patrick Lee of Barrington in the semifinals.

"Looking back at it now, I really wasn't ready to handle playing as a No. 1, and I would not have been helping the team as much as I did that year as our No. 2," admits Kujawa.

"Things really happen for a reason, and everything worked out fine that year for me and the team."

Kujawa (9-2) garnered a coveted 9-16 seed for this weekend's mega-tournament, the Pitchford 32.

Like most players this spring, he'll be happy to get in 4-6 matches over the two days against the best in the state.

"The weather has been so bad this spring, and we've missed out on a couple of tournaments and duels along the way," Kujawa said, "so my goal this weekend to go out and win that first match, then take one at a time."

Kujawa is on course to meet 5-8 seed Michael Jacobs (Oak Park-River Forest) in second-round action.

Forty-plus matches during the offseason helped Kujawa climb the USTA Chicago-area ranking ladder to an eventual No. 16 spot at under-18.

However, it was loads of work in the weight room, extra hitting and a calmer, more relaxed approach that has made the difference in his overall game, according to both Huffman and his top player.

"My serve has improved, I am better at the net, and I am playing stress-free and having a lot of fun," says Kujawa, who began in sixth grade at the River Trails Park District when his mother signed him up.

A superb all-around athlete, capable of winning points with a booming serve and ability to be the ultimate all-court player, Kujawa's attacking style was seen in a different venue when he starred for the Knights soccer club and coach Kurt Trenkle.

"Tom's growth in a single season was truly amazing," said Trenkle.

"A lot of the guys were telling me how he was scoring goals in handfuls in club soccer, and I was so anxious in summer camp to see if it was true. And it was."

Trenkle said Kujawa turned into a hard-working, positive role model who would play through injuries on each side of the ball and would emerge to become one of the top scoring strikers in the area.

Kujawa would influence matches, and would handle the creative burden in the Knights' attack on his way to all-MSL honors and a spot on the Daily Herald All-Area team with his 13 goals and 6 assists.

The Arizona State-bound Kujawa laughs at his status as the "old-man" on a club filled with freshmen and sophomores, but he enjoys the label because he sees the potential this season for an MSL title and many more after he graduates.

Thrills for the '32': At no time in recent memory has the spring season been turned upside down because of the weather more than 2008.

Weekend tournaments, traditionally used to experiment with lineups, particularly at doubles, have been washed away by Mother Nature.

The "'32," long recognized as a mini-state tournament and a key stop on the tennis tour for nearly every top player in the state, is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. today at six sites, with tourney host Hersey welcoming finalists Saturday at Nos. 1 and 2 singles and doubles.

If rain enters the picture today, look for a long day of tennis on Saturday, with perhaps pro-set tennis being introduced in the early rounds to keep things rolling.

Fans will get to see the first serious tournament of the season, and here's a brief look at some of the story lines that may happen:

• No. 1 singles is stacked, beginning with No. 1 seed junior Denis Bogatov (Warren) and No. 2 Augie Bloom of Hinsdale Central.

Bogatov was third last year, and Bloom fourth.

• Five of the top eight finishers from the 2007 state tournament are here, including Bogatov and Bloom, as well as Blake Bazarnik (Stevenson, fifth), Mac McAnulty (Latin, sixth) and Drew Feder (eighth) of Belleville East, as well as Chase Klaus (Peoria Richwoods), who earned a 5-8 seed.

Rising star Michael Moore of Glenbrook South, a serious contender for a top-five medal in May, will not appear as the Titans are not among the 32 teams competing.

At first glance, the seed committee has done a wonderful job of mixing and matching the field of 32, yet those who overlook the likes of Jonah Schwartz (Buffalo Grove), Matt Goralka (Payton), Sam Barnett (Highland Park), Alec Siegel (Deerfield), Brian Piotrowski (Fremd), Trevor Hoffman (Naperville) or Kujawa, will quickly find themselves in the backdraw.

Glenbard North's Eric Spector, a 2006 third-place medalist, joins Bazarnik with a 3-4 seed, while Michael Jacobs of Oak Park-River Forest is another 5-8 seed.

• Doubles is wide-open.

There are no returning teams back from the state tournament that finished in the top 16, and weather has robbed most coaches of finding the best combination of players.

The Stevenson duo of David Packowitz-Ross Putterman comes in at 8-0 and earned a 3-4 seed.

Barrington's Matt Barns and Alex Nemz got a 9-16 seed.

"Clearly Matt and Alex have some challenges ahead of them, but we look forward to the opportunity and the chance to establish ourselves this weekend," said Broncos coach John Roncone.

• Chris Speer (Stevenson), Krishna Ravella (Hinsdale Central) head the list at No. 2 singles, but 2007 state qualifiers Michael Jacobson (Latin), Dan Vollman (Oak Park) and Payton senior Morris Bossem each pose a threat to the top two at this flight.

• Stevenson may be the early favorite to win it all here and next month because of its strength and depth at all four positions, but defending state champ Hinsdale Central with Bloom and Ravella capable of long runs should be there with sleeping giant New Trier.

Others to watch include Oak Park and Latin.

"It looks like all the draws are fair, but tough," said Stevenson coach Mark Linnenburger. "We'll go in expecting everyone to do well.

"But with so many quality players at the '32' anything can and will happen. Either way, we'll have a good idea of where we stand after the tournament."

Play on Saturday is set to begin at 8 a.m.