ORANGEBURG, SC – An overflow crowd was on hand Tuesday at the President's State Room on the South Carolina State University campus for a “Salute and Send-off” for the men's and women's tennis teams who will be participating in the NCAA Tennis Championships which get underway Friday at campus locations around the country.
The SC State women will be making their ninth consecutive trip to the postseason tourney while the men will be going for the ninth time in 10 seasons. Both squads, under the guidance of head coach
Hardeep Judge and assistant Suzanna Mansour, earned automatic berths by virtue of winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament last week.
The Lady Bulldogs (17-4), led by seniors
Maria Craciun and
Laura Bosneag, both of Pitesi, Romania, will face #2-seeded North Carolina - Chapel Hill (25-3) on Friday at 1 p.m. It will be the third meeting between the two schools, which previously met in first-round action in 2004 and 2008, with the Tar Heels winning both meetings.
The men, powered by seniors
Anton Protsenko of the Ukraine and
Peteris Vinogradovs of Latvia, will also be in action Friday as they will meet #4-seeded Tennessee (22-7) at Knoxville at 2 p.m. (EDT). It will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools. Both SC State teams will be seeking their first victory in the NCAA Tennis Championships.
During Tuesday's Salute and Send-off, the two teams and Judge and Mansour were praised by interim president Dr. Cynthia Warrick, president-elect Thomas Elzey and athletics director Charlene Johnson, businessman John Winarchick of Zeus Industrial Products, Inc., and Yvette Rowland of US Senator Lindsay Graham's office and Orangeburg Mayor Paul Miller, who also presented a proclamation to honor this year's achievements.
But the most compelling remarks came from Judge and two of the players – Bosneag of the women's team and Vinogradovs of the men's squad.
In an emotional address, Judge described what his tenure as tennis coach at SC State has meant to him and the joy he has derived from the accomplishments of his teams.
“South Carolina State and our tennis teams mean a lot to me,” said Judge after congratulating his teams on this year's success. “This university has a special place in my heart. It's a great place and deserves the support of this community, the Board of Directors, the faculty and staff, students and alumni.”
Judge, who almost every year is approached by major schools about coaching vacancies but has chosen to remain at SC State, was speaking with a heavy heart as he recounted the recent death of his father-in-law and the absence of mentor and staunch supporter Frank Tourville of Zeus, whose health was ailing and not present at the event.
Both Bosneag and Vinogradovs, in reflecting on their four years at SC State, praised Judge and Mansour and others who had helped with their development as tennis players and their adjustments in a far different place than their homeland.
Bosneag, who is graduating with a degree in accounting, came to SC State in 2009 with teammate and best friend Craciun -- the 2013 MEAC Player of the Year – said her experiences at SC State have been challenging and rewarding.
“Throughout my tenure here at SC State,” said Bosneag, “I have been fortunate to meet some amazing coaches, professors, trainers and friends.
“I have been a part of an amazing team whose thirst for success in matches has been insatiable,” she continued, mixing a bit of humor. “Now, I am not saying we were responsible for winning nine MEAC championships in a row – four for which I am responsible for; and, I'm not going to say that we made and continue to make SC State and MEAC history; I am not saying that we haven't yet met a team that could come toe-to-toe with us on our best day.
“Because, It's not about me, It's not even about us. It's about the legacy and what you leave behind. And I know for sure that each and every one of us has been a torch bearer for the legacy that has been bestowed upon us.”
Speaking directly to Judge, she said “Thank you Coach Judge. You have not only been a coach, but also a mentor, a friend and father. I want to thank you for the opportunity you offered me (to play tennis). This opportunity allowed me to achieve dreams that I never could have imagined. By giving me a chance to be a part of the tennis team, I now have a bachelor's degree and am on my way to pursue a graduate degree at the Vrije University in Amsterdam. Thank You.”
Bosneag, who also thanked Mansour, the Bulldog training and strength and conditioning staff, added “
As I leave SC State, I will carry many memories with me – some good, some bad – but memories which transformed me as a person. I will surely miss my time here and also the people who touched my life. As an alumnae, I will always keep in touch and always wait to hear the great things that SC State will continue to do. I will always be a part of the tennis team. I will always be a Bulldog.”
“South Carolina State has been my home for the last four years,” said Vinogradovs, a management major. “I have always been a really modest person, but one with big dreams and hopes. But, I have never had big plans about my future. I always just kind of went with the flow. But, I think that has changed during these four years at SC State.
“(When I came here) my goals were to get a bachelor's degree…I have achieved that; to have new experiences…and coming from a country that is so far and different, I think I have gotten plenty of new experiences; meet new people and learn from them…and during these four years, I had a chance to meet so many interesting people from all over the world; get MEAC tennis championship rings...I have four of them so I think that worked out better than I had hoped; figure out my future…I have decided to move back home and prove to myself and others that it is worth returning and living in Latvia. I am self-confident about my potential and excited about the opportunities that awaits me.”
Vinogradovs lamented the fact that his college days at SC State were over and, like Bosneag, heaped praise upon the coaches and staff at the university. Most of his praised was reserved for Judge.
“It's kind of hard to believe that my college years are over,” he said. “As I look back on these past four years, I can see development and hard work that has paid off. I have become more mature, more self-confident and more reliable. I like myself better now.
“Everyone and almost everything has made an impact in my life here in South Carolina and at SC State, but the most – Coach Judge. I want to take this opportunity to say a few things to Coach Judge.
“Coach Judge, you are a great coach, and an even greater man. I cannot imagine how hard it is to have to take care of such a big group of young adults from so many different countries, different personalities and characters. You always said that the tennis teams were your second family, and thanks to you I have always felt like the tennis team is my family here as well. I could always count on your help when I really needed it. I have always felt that I could trust you, so thank you for being there for me and the rest of the team when we needed you.
“My goal upon coming here was to learn, not just about studying and school. I say learn on purpose because it was about learning how to be a better person, a person that people would respect and want to be around. I have not become that person yet, but thanks to Coach Judge, I am much closer.”
Judge, for all of his success and achievements, is modest about the legacy he has helped to establish at SC State in tennis. His many achievements and accolades will be noted in the annals of Bulldog athletic history, but the tribute he received on Tuesday from Bosneag and Vindogradovs and from many players that preceded them, is perhaps most fitting.
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