It’s Good Day for Anteaters

UC Irvine Coach Greg Patton glanced one way and saw two of his doubles teams and one of his singles players reach the final of their events Saturday at the Ojai tennis tournament.

Then he looked over and noticed that a former player, Steve Aniston, made the final of the men’s open singles. And finally, UCI-bound Mike Briggs of Corona Del Mar High School won the boys’ interscholastic singles.

“What a day for the Anteaters,” Patton said.

Call it a day for the Anteaters past, present and future.

Aniston, who defeated Mort Wooldridge, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, in the semifinals, plays Chris Dunk in today’s final.

UCI’s Darren Yates is in the men’s collegiate invitational singles final; Yates and Julian Barham are in the invitational doubles final, and Mark Kaplan and Trevor Kronemann are in the men’s independent collegiate doubles final.

Briggs rallied to defeat Joe Vidauretta of Bakersfield Garces, 3-6, 6-0, 7-5.

Chapman College’s Miles Walker reached the independent singles final and will play Cal State Long Beach’s Greg Failla today.

Two other Orange County junior players won singles titles at Ojai Saturday. Jonathan Leach of Laguna Beach defeated Heath Montgomery, 6-1, 6-4, in the boys’ 14-and-under event. And, Noelle Porter of San Clemente beat Laxmi Poruri of Upland, 6-4, 7-6, in the girls’ 18s final.