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BuckeyeDubs
Sophmore
Saturday at 3 eta Seelig battles in semis of consolation after beating Alex Brown [ill]
McNally and the only freshmen left in the tourney Robert Cash of New Albany play unc at 6
After beating the 15th ranked team from Princeton 6-7 6-2 10-8.
McNally and the only freshmen left in the tourney Robert Cash of New Albany play unc at 6
After beating the 15th ranked team from Princeton 6-7 6-2 10-8.
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BuckeyeDubs
Sophmore
John McNally & Robert Cash rally from 0-4 to defeat North Carolina 4-6 6-0 10-6 and play the 2 seeds from Oklahoma State at Oracle ITA Fall Nationals 
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BuckeyeDubs
Sophmore
Freshman Cash and McNally play a epic second set winning 6-1 after dropping the first set on a unreturnable let serve at 4-5 40-40.
Osu cowboys played a tremendous tb to win.. New doubles team goes 13-2 in fall .. First Buckeye mens team to reach ITA fall nats final.Last rankings for 2019 will be out this week . Robert Cash was the only freshman from US to make the tourney along w 2 from Britain .
Freshmen Cannon Kingsley 1 of 6 freshmen men to make singles where he lost in 3 to the 4 seed third rd.
Osu cowboys played a tremendous tb to win.. New doubles team goes 13-2 in fall .. First Buckeye mens team to reach ITA fall nats final.Last rankings for 2019 will be out this week . Robert Cash was the only freshman from US to make the tourney along w 2 from Britain .
Freshmen Cannon Kingsley 1 of 6 freshmen men to make singles where he lost in 3 to the 4 seed third rd.
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Blue Chip Tracy Bound for Buckeyes
J.J. Tracy grew up as a fan of Ohio State athletics, yet the 17-year-old blue chip was careful not to let that affinity influence his decision to join the Buckeyes.
“It's obviously great that I can play for the team that I supported, but that wasn't the most important reason in my decision,” said Tracy, who chose Ohio State after also considering Texas and Baylor.
“After my official visit, I knew Ohio State was the place. I just loved it. The team was great, lots of energy there, great coaches. Obviously, great facilities. I think the new place will be ready right when I get there in the fall.”
That new facility, christened the Ty Tucker Tennis Center in honor of Ohio State’s director of tennis and men’s head coach, acknowledges Tucker’s efforts in building the Buckeye programs, and Tracy recognizes the advantages of training under one of the country’s top coaches.
“I think he can push me to be the best I can be,” Tracy said. “That was one of the things that really drove me to go up there, knowing that I'll get a great practice session every day and he'll push me as hard as I can be pushed. I want to be the best that I can be, play high in the lineup as soon as I can. I want to try to go pro after and I think Ohio State's a great place to do that.”
Although his father lives in Columbus, Tracy has been living with his mother in Hilton Head, South Carolina for the past four and a half years, with his tennis development spearheaded by B.J. Stearns of Smith Stearns Academy.
Stearns said Tracy knew Tucker’s reputation as a tough coach, but didn’t shy away from what he knows will be required of him at Ohio State.
“I definitely think he is looking at it as a great challenge,” Stearns said. “He knows what he’s getting himself into as far as work ethic, how they run that program. If J.J. responds to Ty the way we hope he does, he can really take off.”
Stearns believes that the attention Tucker gave Tracy was instrumental in his choice, and has also boosted his student’s confidence.
“From the first, J.J. kind of bonded with him over the whole recruiting process,” Stearns said. “Ty recruited him the hardest by far. It was unbelievable. He would be down here for just an hour practice session. It made J.J. feel very good.”
Stearns believes Tracy’s steady improvement in the past four years, from 51 as a freshman in the Class of 2020 to 15 now, comes from recognizing that talent isn’t enough.
“As a young man, I think it’s kind of a cliché, but he’s continued to mature,” Stearns said. “And more than anything, I think his work ethic has gotten better and better over the years. I think everything has come pretty easily for him as far as results, and then you get to a certain age and start to realize that everyone has that much talent, it’s just those little things now that are going to separate you from losing three in the third and winning three in the third. I think he’s figuring that part out a little more.”
Tracy has honed his serve and forehand in recent years, and he wants to continue to improve his strengths, while adding to his game in the months to come.
“I definitely love my forehand, that's my favorite shot, my best shot, that's a staple,” said Tracy, who reached the semifinals of the Eddie Herr 16s last year and the Easter Bowl 16s final this year. “I've really been working on that and it's been showing. I think my defense is a strength, just running balls down, always staying in the point, getting to an extra ball. Leading up to college, I want to work on getting some more spin on my backhand and getting more free points off my serve, transitioning into the net.”
Tracy credits the work done by Stearns and coach Julian Sullivan for his recent success.
“They've helped me improve the first serve, and the first-ball forehand is what they've really been focusing on with me the last year or so,” Tracy said. “The past few years I had been a little more passive and not as aggressive, but this year and the year before, I've really started to come over the forehand and be an attack-first player.”
“He has a great forehand honestly, very heavy,” Stearns said. “He’s got a good first serve, moves well. I think the last six months to a year, he’s put in a lot of time off the court, trying to get himself in shape, better fitness. He still obviously has a ways to go, but as he gets more and more fit I think the results are going to continue to come for him in his senior year, and then at Ohio State.”
Tracy sampled a variety of sports growing up, but tennis was always at the top of his priorities, even though he did not grow up in a tennis family.
“My mom was just a local country club player, and my dad didn't play,” Tracy said. “I just played all the sports as a kid and then as I started getting older I had the 'are you going to go to soccer practice or are you going to go to tennis?' question. It was always tennis, and everything fell off; I was about 11, 12 when it started. We moved to Hilton Head for the tennis when we finally decided this is the one sport.”
“It was always the thing I wanted to do, more than any other sport,” Tracy continued. “I love the team part of it; when I go to the Spring Team Nationals that's my favorite tournament, so I'm definitely excited for the team environment in college. Tennis was just always my love and it's carried on.”
As his confidence has grown and his game has improved, Tracy has begun playing more frequently on the ITF Junior Circuit, and after a quarterfinal appearance at last month’s B1 Pan American Closed and three semifinals and a final this year, his ITF ranking has gone from 600 to 220 in the past six months.
“Aside from those two or three tournaments a year where you get Super Nationals, there was getting to a point for development that he had to do it,” Stearns said. “He’s enjoyed the travel and I think his goal is to try to work his way up to try to get into a few of the [junior] grand slams if he can before school. It’s a lofty goal, but that doesn’t mean he can’t achieve it if he does well.”
Expanding his pool of opponents played a major role in his decision too.
“You also see the same kids in the USTA sectional tournaments and the Nationals, and so it's nice to go out of the country sometimes and get some different cultures and different styles you're playing against,” Tracy said. “Some new players is for sure refreshing. The people I've met, those I've made great friends with, all the cultures I've seen at the ITFs are some highlights for sure.”
After three years of online schooling, Tracy is back in the classroom at Hilton Head Prep, and he is enjoying that change.
“It's been really good,” Tracy said. “I like it a lot better, but obviously online school was crucial in getting me more time on the court. The school works closely with Smith Stearns and gives us a schedule where we don't miss any hours.”
As for a possible college major, Tracy is considering following in his father’s footsteps.
“I think I want to do business in college,” said Tracy, who cites statistics as his favorite subject. “Ohio State has a great business program, and my dad's a businessman, so that's definitely appealing to me.”
Stearns has watched Tracy grow on and off the court over the past four years, and he is confident that will continue in college.
“Honestly, and I’ve done this for a lot of years, and for J.J., he’s truly, genuinely one of the good kids who has come through the academy,” Stearns said. “He’s never given us any problem, always been very respectful, and in his college career and in life, that’s going to serve him well. Obviously, he’s a great tennis player, but more than anything, he’s a good kid.”
Entire article: https://www.tennisrecruiting.net/article.asp?id=308344645&sessionid=3A3E2573627C497C
Looks like he is #15 in the 2020 class; https://www.tennisrecruiting.net/list.asp?id=1205&page=1&from=790241&sessionid=3A3E2573627C497C
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BuckeyeDubs
Sophmore
I watched jj since he was in 12s ..just a great player , competitor , terrific person
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bigdog3300
The G.O.A.T.
One JJ for another, i dig it.
And I know I'm way late to the party, but was it expected that JJ Wolf turned pro?
And I know I'm way late to the party, but was it expected that JJ Wolf turned pro?
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Hey 3300, we can pray that JJT might be as successful as JJW.
Wolf at this time last year was #560 in ATP rankings, but has seen his world ranking drop to #189 after the win;
ATP site: https://www.atptour.com/en/players/jj-wolf/w09g/overview
Re. expectations for turning pro, can't blame the athlete for wanting to focus on the circuit.
In order for JJW to remain eligible as amateur and compete on the OSU team, he had to forsake past prize winnings in pro tournaments.
Grateful to see him getting paid for his winnings,
Since turning pro this Summer, it looks like his total ATP earnings have exceeded $55K which includes a $7.2K check for winning in Champaign.
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The ITA released their fall rankings last week and 4 Buckeyes were listed in the singles top 40.
#16 Freshman cannon Kingsley.
#24 Junior John McNally.
#28 Senior Kyle Seelig
#40 Sophomore James Trotter
Also McNally and Cash are ranked #2 in doubles.
#16 Freshman cannon Kingsley.
#24 Junior John McNally.
#28 Senior Kyle Seelig
#40 Sophomore James Trotter
Also McNally and Cash are ranked #2 in doubles.
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