Dolphins Clinch CUNYAC Commissioner's Cup

Flushing Meadows, NY - In a tight race that went down to the final matches, the College of Staten Island won the 2001 CUNY Athletic Conference / Hospital For Special Surgery Men's Tennis Championship at the National Tennis Center today by a margin of three points over Baruch College. It's the Dolphins' seventh championship in the last nine seasons, all under head coach Bruce Knittle.

Staten Island junior Champ Albano (St. Peter's/Staten Island, NY) was the only double gold winner for the champions, as the rookie won the fifth singles flight 6-3, 6-1 and followed that later in the day with the clinching victory with partner Blake Altholz (New Dorp/Staten Island, NY), 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.

"I have surprised myself this season," said Albano, a standout in basketball for the past three years. "I thought I would be two steps behind the league. Coach Knittle does an excellent job every day and he makes this program work. I'm just happy to be part of this fabled tradition."

Freshman sensation Jay Song (Tottenville/Staten Island, NY) and the second doubles team of sophomore Paul Ricciardi (St. Joseph's Sea/Staten Island, NY) and Igor Ogoula (Gabon) also took home top prizes for the Dolphins (9-2, 7-1).

"This is one of the most satisfying wins I've had," said CSI skipper Knittle. "Baruch beat us during the regular season and to win the tournament is a testament to the guys on this team."

Baruch (8-1, 7-1 CUNYAC) the Regular Season title winners, also won three flights - including two by sixth singles player Amir Tsekun (Tel Aviv, Israel). Tsekun beat CSI's Altholz in singles 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, before teaming up with Thach Phu to win the first doubles crown, 7-6 (7-5), 1-6, 6-4. The Statesmen's Chander Goel won the fourth singles final for the second straight year, a 6-1, 6-3 decision over CSI's Ogoula.

In the first singles flight, Brooklyn's Fyodor Polonsky, in his first year on the team, topped Hunter's Eric Jose 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 for the gold medal. Polonsky, a junior (Murrow/St. Petersburg, Russia) becomes the second straight Brooklyn player to win the top spot, after Pavan Khurana won in #1 singles last season.

"I am proud to be able to bring this medal to my team," said Polonsky. "I got revenge for my only two losses this season by beating York and Hunter in the Championship. It's a great experience to be a part of a college team like this."

With the Tennis Tournament title in hand and a spot in Wednesday's CUNYAC Baseball final at Yankee Stadium (12:00 pm), the Dolphins have amassed 110 Commissioner's Cup points, to overtake Hunter (109.5) for the school's first-ever Cup. The Commissioner's Cup will be awarded Tuesday night at CUNYAC's Scholar-Athlete Ceremony at BMCC.

FINAL STANDINGS (PTS) 1. STATEN ISLAND (41) o 2. BARUCH (38) o 3. BROOKLYN (29) o 4. HUNTER (23) o 5. LEHMAN (16) o 6. YORK (15) o 7. CCNY (11) o 8. JOHN JAY (10) 9. NY CITY TECH (6).

CUNYAC