Boys’ Athletes of the Week : Doubles Team Was Single-Minded

Rob Atkin and Doug Schulein, Corona del Mar High School’s No. 1 doubles team, have built a reputation for a flashy, exciting style of tennis that can dazzle fans and opponents.

Of course, flash and dazzle don’t always make for winning tennis.

“I call Robbie and Doug my ‘Low-Percentage Twins,’ ” said Corona del Mar Coach Dave Heffern. “They’re always trying cute little stuff. Doug’s notorious for these crazy between-the-legs shots, and Robbie for the difficult-angle shots.”

Saturday, at the Southern Section individual tennis championships at the SeaCliff Tennis Club in Huntington Beach, seniors Atkin and Schulein, The Times’ athletes of the week, cut out the funny stuff. They defeated Camarillo’s Brian Giffin and Peter Morawiecki, 7-5, 7-6, to win the doubles final.

Heffern said he remembers telling Atkin and Schulein when they were freshmen that if they worked hard enough, they could be Southern Section champions some day. Heffern watched them develop, but occasionally questioned their choice of shots.

“Yeah, we love the dramatic shots,” Schulein said.

Especially the one they call the Betweenski , in which a player chases down a lob and, with his back to the net, returns the shot between his legs.

Atkin said he had a chance to hit one during Saturday’s final, but chose not to.

“During the final, we just kept the returns low to their feet and got topspins going--just like coach says, ‘taking care of business.’ ”

TOP PERFORMERS

Greg Hansell of Kennedy pitched a four-hitter and hit a two-run homer in a 7-2 victory over Laguna Hills Friday in the Southern Section 3-A baseball quarterfinals.

Doug Nichols of Edison placed second in the Masters 800-meter run Friday night in a lifetime-best 1 minute 51.94 seconds.

Chris Tidland, a Valencia junior, won the Southern Section golf title on the first playoff hole after shooting a par 72 at Canyon Country Club in Palm Springs Monday.

Eric Whitcomb of Valencia won the Masters pole vault Friday night with a leap of 15 feet 4 inches, breaking the school record of 15-2 set by Ron Mooers in 1971.

Rob Atkin and Doug Schulein

Corona del Mar

Position: Doubles team.

Height, Weight, Class: Atkin: 6-2, 160, Senior; Schulein: 5-9, 150, Senior.

Last Week: Atkin and Schulein won the Southern Section tennis title in doubles Saturday.

Season: Atkin and Schulein finished at 25-1.