PREP TENNIS Meek, Person make it to final

Ursuline's doubles teamfinished second in the state.
By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
Brian Meek and Donald Person got the last laugh.
In 2000, as freshmen doubles partners, Ursuline High's Meek and Person thought they had qualified for the state tennis tournament.
According to The Ohio High School Athlete that year, the district's top five doubles teams advanced to the state meet in Columbus.
Two days before the tournament was to begin, Meek and Person received a telephone call. The Ohio High School Athletic Association's official publication was incorrect, they were told. Only the top four teams were to qualify for state.
"We were so mad," Meek said. "We had never forgotten that."
Fast forward to 2003. Meek and Person are now seniors. They also are the second-best Division II doubles team in the state.
Challenging opponent
Meek and Person ended their high school careers Saturday in Columbus, at the state tournament, losing in the championship match to a team from Gahanna Columbus Academy.
"People have been telling us all along that they were the ones who were supposed to win state," said Meek of Columbus Academy's Kortney Keith and Vivek Venkataraman, who won 6-3, 6-4.
"We were hoping we would get to play them," said Meek.
The Irish earned that opportunity after winning their semifinal match Saturday morning over Cincinnati Indian Hill's Britt Jamison and Wade Ward, 6-2, 6-1.
"Donald and I played the best match of our life," Meek said of the semifinal. "We served great, our returns were perfect and so was our volleys. Everything seemed to click that match."
Meek and Person were ahead 1-0 in the second set at Ohio State University when play was interrupted by rain. The match was moved indoors, where it continued about two hours later.
"We were pretty worried [at that point]," Meek said. "We lost some momentum with that two-hour break, and we figured [Indian Hill] would be rested up again. But we went out and played awesome."
Ursuline, however, couldn't sustain that level of play in the title match later Saturday.
"It just seemed like they played before and knew the doubles game. We were always playing catch-up," said Meek, who will play at Youngstown State.
"I know we could have played better," he added. "On any given day, we could beat them."
Columbus Academy picked off more volleys and was strong at the net en route to its victory.
"They controlled the net," said Person, who will play at DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind.
"When that happens, it's almost a sure thing that you're going to lose," he added. "When we got to the net, they threw amazing lobs right on the baseline."
Off and running
The Irish advanced to the second day of competition by defeating teams from Kettering Archbishop Alter and Norwalk in the first two rounds Friday.
"We just relaxed in the hotel room that night," Meek said. "We didn't think about it too much. If you put too much thought into it, you ruin it."
This wasn't the first state tournament experience for Meek and Person; they advanced as sophomores.
Meek qualified with doubles partner Todd Wojtkowski and finished fourth, while Person went as a singles player, losing in the first round.
"At least I got to see what the tournament was like" as a sophomore, Person said. "I got a feel for the courts and the setting. That definitely helped."
This year, at the height of their high school careers, they returned to state.
"It's been a great experience," Meek said. "To end your senior year here, it's about as good as you can ask for."
richesson@vindy.com