What record did Cathedral Prep boys tennis coach Pat Grab set at Sunday's City Rec Tournament?
When it comes to the City Rec Tennis Tournament, there’s a shared trait between Pat Grab’s entourage and the number of men’s singles titles he’s won.
Each has increased since the 2005 Cathedral Prep graduate had his name initially engraved on the Byron Baur trophy that same year.
Eighteen years, one wife and four children later, Grab accomplished that feat for an unprecedented sixth time. The Ramblers’ former player and current coach attained that history thanks to Sunday’s 6-3, 6-3 victory over Kody Duncan in their championship match at Frontier Park’s courts.
“I (first) won this as a recent high school graduate and now with four kids at home,” Grab said. “Their friends were here too, so it was a cool atmosphere. It was fun to play and fun to do this.”
Grab broke a tie with Ravinder Sabherwal they had shared since 2019. Sabherwal, a 1998 Mercyhurst University athletic hall of fame inductee, was a five-time City Rec singles titlist between 1982 and 1990.
The duo’s four-year tournament stalemate officially ended when Grab served an ace on his first match point against Duncan, an Oil City native and Edinboro University’s tennis coach.
Grab offered a practical perspective on his record.
“I guess it just means I’ve been in Erie long enough, playing tennis here long enough and playing this tournament long enough,” he said. “There’s plenty of good players, better players, that have come and gone through here. It’s not everything.”
Wooster boosters
The parallel couldn't be ignored.
When Grab won his initial City Rec singles title, he was days away from starting his freshman season for The College of Wooster (Ohio).
Cut to Sunday, when Lauren Richmond and Enisa Siljkovic sought first place in the women’s singles final. Richmond, a new Mercyhurst Prep graduate, rallied for a 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 win.
Afterwards, the former Laker said she’ll leave for college next weekend, along with the resumption of her tennis career.
That college? Wooster.
Richmond will compete for coach Amy Behrman and the Division III Fighting Scots. She’ll also be an early benefactor of more than $2 million in renovations to the school’s tennis facility.
Richmond mentioned Grab’s status as a Wooster alumnus. However, he wasn’t the most influential tennis figure when she decided where to attend and compete.
Rick Sertz, Fairview’s girls tennis coach, definitely was.
“Rick’s daughter (Shannon) went there,” Richmond said. “He was the one who gave me the idea of going there. Knowing Pat Grab also went there, and sort of the Erie community there, was really helpful.”
Richmond was a double gold medalist Sunday. She paired with Prep returnee Cameron Grieshaber for their 6-3, 6-2 sweep of Ray Barrett and Courtney Leonard in the tournament’s mixed doubles final.
Girls tennis starts soon
Siljkovic’s match vs. Richmond doubled as a formal warmup for her senior season with Erie High. She’s a returning all-District 10 singles player for the Royals and coach Kim Nikolai.
Erie High, like all of the PIAA’s girls tennis programs, can begin practice sessions for their new seasons on Aug. 14. The 2023 Royals are scheduled to debut Aug. 28, when Siljkovic and her teammates host Oil City at Frontier.
More: Which Cathedral Prep tennis players won singles titles during Junior City Rec Tournament?
City Rec results
Championship matches for the City Rec Tennis Tournament at Frontier Park:
MEN
Open singles: Pat Grab def. Kody Duncan 6-3, 6-3
A singles: Chris Paparelli def. Matt Wilcko 6-0, 6-1
Open doubles: Ryan Deimel-Brian Foht def. Jeet Sabherwal-Gavin Ferretti 6-3, 7-5
WOMEN
Open singles: Lauren Richmond def. Enisa Siljkovic 1-6, 6-3, 6-2
Open doubles: Marina Zottele-Maria Salomao def. Lauren Passarelli-Ryleigh Valone 4-6, 7-5, 7-5
A doubles: Cheryl Stephany-Theresa Humes def. Sandy Reilly-Annie Candella 6-4, 6-4
Mixed doubles
Open division: Cameron Grieshaber-Lauren Richmond def. Ray Barrett-Courtney Leonard 6-3, 6-2
A division: Gary Paparelli-Kate Paparelli 2-0, 2. Boyd Baker-Cheryl Stephany 1-1, 3. Randy Demers-Anna Sabol 0-2
Contact Mike Copper at mcopper@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNcopper.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Pat Grab, Lauren Richmond win Erie, PA City Rec Tennis Tournament
