Glendale’s Hess Wins Singles Title; Ventura’s Whitaker & Thayne Win Doubles Crown
Glendale College’s Christian Hess overcame a tough three-set battle in the quarterfinals, before going on to win the 2017 Western State Conference Men’s Singles title. The #1 overall seed became the first Glendale singles winner since 2011. Ventura meanwhile was home once again to the doubles champion in the form of freshmen Cruz Thayne and Bill Whitaker.
Glendale College's Christian Hess overcame a tough three-set battle in the quarterfinals, before going on to win the 2017 Western State Conference Men's Singles title. The #1 overall seed became the first Glendale singles winner since 2011. Ventura meanwhile was home once again to the doubles champion in the form of freshmen Cruz Thayne and Bill Whitaker.
Hess cruised into the quarter finals without dropping a set. In the quarterfinals though, he faced his first real test in the form of LA Pierce's Johnny Barcohana. Barcahona defeated Hess 7-6 in the first set, before Hess rallied with a 6-3 win in set number two and 10-6 win in the tiebreaker. Hess would go on to win 6-2 and 6-4 in the semi-finals before defeating #7 seed Whitaker from Ventura 6-4 and 6-2.
On the doubles side, Thayne and Whitaker came in as the #1 seed and advanced fairly easily into the semi-finals. In the semis they faced Spencer Ekola and Emerson Sekban of Santa Barbara City College. Thayne and Whitaker won the first set 6-4, before being pushed to a tie breaker in the second set and eventually advancing to the championship match 7-6. In the championships, Whitaker and Thayne would take on Glendale's Hess and sophomore Chris Pope. Hess and Pope, the #2 seeded doubles team, would take the first set 6-4, but Whitake and Thayne rallied with a 7-6 (7-5) win in the second set, forcing the third and deciding set. It was a back and forth affair with Whitaker and Thayne prevailing 6-4.
