North Carolina State University Athletics
Welte, Weinacker Make Noise at USTA Clay Court Championships
7/25/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
July 25, 2005
RALEIGH, N.C. - The Nation's capital has served as a hotbed for junior tennis over the course of the past week, July 17-24, as some of the top talent in the country descended on Washington, D.C. to take part in the United States Tennis Association's (USTA) Clay Court Championships at Woodmont Country Club. Two incoming Wolfpack men's tennis standouts, Chris Welte and Jay Weinacker, offered noteworthy performances throughout the event, with Welte downing a No. 1 seed in singles action, as well as making his second appearance in the doubles championship match.
Starting in the singles round of 256, Welte, a native of Moylan, Pa., easily paced through two matches before beating No. 1 seed Mykyta Kryvonos in the round of 64. Kryvonos, who already plays professionally, collected the first set before Welte stormed back to take control of the match and grab the win, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. Welte eventually fell to Chris Kearney in the round of 32, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.
In doubles play, Welte found himself in the championship match for the second time during his junior career, alongside partner Clancey Shields. Despite making it to the final match, the duo came up short, losing to Andrew Orban and Michael Venus, 6-2, 6-3. In 2003, Welte was on the winning end of the doubles championship.
Jay Weinacker or Mountain Brook, Ala., collected two singles victories during his stay at the field. In the first round, he bested Viju George, 7-6 (3), 6-1. Weinacker then defeated Spencer Feldman, 6-1, 6-0, before falling in the round of 64 to Steven Forman, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
The USTA Clay Court Championships stand as the last junior tournament for Chris Welte, while Weinacker will compete at the national hard court event.
"We're really proud of our incoming guys," head coach Jon Choboy said. "They've committed themselves to improving as much as possible and getting ready for the challenges of competing in a tough league and helping this program continue to improve. We are ready to welcome them aboard."
Weinacker recently won the Spring Southern Closed Championships in Mobile, Ala. Serving as the top player in the South, Weinacker collected every set he played on his way to the championship title. During the summer of 2004, Weinacker won four rounds at the U.S. National Hard Court Championships.
Welte has looked equally impressive since committing to the Wolfpack, earning his first professional points in doubles play on the USTA Pro Circuit. Ranked No. 1 in the Middle States region, Welte has competed in multiple futures events all over the United States in the past few months.
NC State finished last season with a 15-12 record, going 2-8 in ACC competition. The squad's 15 wins were the most since 1988 for a Wolfpack tennis team. With a solid returning cast, and a nationally recognized incoming duo, the Red and White will look to continue catapulting up the national scene next season.
