Wang led Delbarton by example
With the NJSIAA Non-Public A title hanging in the balance against Notre Dame, the Delbarton tennis team looked to the top of its singles lineup and junior co-captain Justin Wang to turn things around and earn the decisive point.
Wang, who finished the 2016 season with 31 victories in 35 matches, did not disappoint.
After dropping the opening set to highly regarded Eric Biscoveanu, Wang rallied for a 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory and gave the Green Wave its second straight Non-Public A championship.
“When our third singles player (Joseph Spada) went down with an injury in the first set, we were in a tough spot, Delbarton head coach John Thompson said. “Justin’s come-from-behind win against a very strong player (Biscoveanu) was amazing.”
It was one of Wang’s biggest victories of the 2016 season and helped Delbarton earn a berth in the Tournament of Champions where it dropped a tough 3-2 quarterfinal-round match to Holmdel.
After a run to the Round of 16 at the NJSIAA singles tournament, Wang ended his first full season at Delbarton with a 31-4 record, including a Morris County Tournament first singles title.
Wang is the 2016 All Daily Record Boys Tennis Player of the Year.
“That win (over Notre Dame) was probably my most important win of the year,” Wang said. “Eric (Biscoveanu) had been playing really well, and with (Spada) hurt and then losing the first set, I knew that I had to raise my game.”
Wang’s 31-4 record was especially impressive considering the level of competition he faced at the top of the Delbarton singles lineup on a daily basis. His only losses in match play came at the hands of Newark Academy (three sets), West Windsor-Plainsboro South and J.P. Stevens. He also lost to Vishnu Joshi of Montgomery in the Round of 16 at the NJSIAA Tournament.
Along the way, Wang defeated Mountain Lakes’ Sammy Eden (twice), Montclair’s Peter Messenger, Livingston’s Earl Hsieh, Montville’s Christian Lizardi, Westfield’s Tyler Roth, Newark Academy’s Chris Paradis, Don Bosco Prep’s Ollie Rodriguez and Holmdel’s Justin Wain.
“Justin is just an amazing player who can play with the best players in the state,” Thompson said. “The team gains a great deal of confidence when they know that their number one player can compete and win against the best. It takes the pressure off of everyone else.”
Wang again led by example at this year’s MCT, where after the first day of competition the Green Wave found themselves locked in a battle for the team championship with Mountain Lakes.
After dropping the opening set of his first singles final to the Lakers’ outstanding freshman Eden, Wang again rallied for a three-set victory that completed a singles sweep and helped Delbarton reclaim the MCT team title. Randolph had ended the Green Wave’s 13-year winning streak in 2015.
“We accomplished a lot as a team this year, and one of our biggest goals heading into the season was to take back counties,” Wang said. “It was really satisfying for me personally, because it was my first county championship and it was a really tough match in the final.”
In addition to his obvious skill level on the court, Wang also provides the Green Wave with leadership and a calming presence as co-captain both on and off the court, something that doesn’t go unnoticed by Thompson or his teammates.
“The best thing about Justin is that he is a leader and a great kid,” Thompson said. “He just plays tennis without any of the noise and attitude you see with some players. He is a great role model and one of the hardest-working players I’ve ever coached.”