UC Irvine Men Travel to Ojai to Defend Big West Tennis Title

The UC Irvine men’s tennis team will defend its Big West Conference championship at the Ojai Valley Tournament, which begins today at Libby Park.

Competition for the Big West women and the high school age-group events begin today and conclude Saturday. The Big West men’s tournament begins Friday with the championship to be decided on Sunday.

The Anteater men, ranked 19th in the country, have won three consecutive titles and six of the past seven.

Irvine will face a tough challenge from Fresno State. In a dual match last week, the Anteaters edged the Bulldogs, 5-4.

Trevor Kronemann, a senior from Bradenton, Fla. who plays at No. 1 singles, is second-seeded behind David Dacrat of UC Santa Barbara. Kronemann (26-12 this season) has won the past three conference titles.

The women’s team, seeded fifth, is led by junior Stacey Cadigan, who plays No. 1 singles.

In the high school tournament, Jon Leach, a junior at Laguna Beach High School, is seeking his fourth consecutive title. Leach, who is playing in the 18-and-under division, is undefeated in high school play for Laguna Beach this season.

Adam Peterson, a sophomore at Mater Dei who won the 16-and-under title at the Easter Bowl tournament in Miami two weeks ago, will be favored in his division at Ojai.