HOME OF THE AMERICAN RIVER COLLEGE BEAVERS

Bio

2018-19: Went 16-6 in singles (primarily at #3) and 21-5 in doubles (primarily at #1) on the year… Reached the Big 8 North Conference final in singles and won the Big 8 North Conference championship in doubles (w/ Guenard)… At the Ojai Individual State Championships he reached the 3rd round of singles and matched the best result by an ARC doubles team in over 50 years by reaching the semifinals of the state championship in doubles (w/ Guenard)… Singles highlights included beating George Fox #3 player Rox Rogers by the score of 7-6(4), 3-6, 10-5 and defeating singles All-American Jan Simon (CER) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3… In doubles the season was highlighted by a decisive 8-2 victory over the George Fox #1 tandem of Barton/A. Namba, a dominant victory in the NorCal dual-team playoffs against Chabot #1 Wen/Yap by the score of 8-3, and an incredible win at the Individual State Championships at Ojai quarterfinals over Duarte/Toledo (CER) by the score of 6-2, 2-6, 10-8… He was nominated for the ITA Region I Sophomore of the Year… Chosen for the Big 8 North All-Conference 1st Team… Selected as a 2019 JuCo ITA Doubles All-American… Finished the season as the #21 ranked singles player in the state and earned the best doubles ranking by a Beavers doubles team in over 50 years by receiving a #3 state ranking (w/ Gienard)… Sam finished his stellar ARC career with a combined record of 72-24, two Big 8 North All-Conference 1st Team selections, as a two-time conference doubles champion, was the 2017 ITA Regional Tournament doubles champion (w/ Vizcarra), an Ojai doubles semifinalist (w/ Guenard), and earned a spot on the 2019 JuCo Doubles All-American Team

2017-18: Went 18-4 in singles (#3/#4) and 17-9 in doubles (#1) on the year… Reached the final in singles and won the doubles title (w/ Vizcarra) at the ITA Regional Championships… Finished 8th place in doubles (w/ Vizcarra) at the Oracle Cup (the ITA national tournament)… Won MJC Tourney Flight 4 singles and MJC Flight 1 doubles (w/ Vizcarra)… Reached Big 8 North Conference semifinals in singles and won the conference doubles title (w/ Vizcarra)… Reached the round of 16 in doubles at the Individual State Championships at Ojai… Singles highlights included defeating #1 seeded Daniel Alves (FLC) by the score of 1-6, 6-1, 6-0 in the conference quarterfinals and beating Carl Goodfriend (FH) 6-2, 6-1 to clinch the dual-match against Foothill in the NorCal team semifinals… Highlights in doubles included defeating Alves/Morley (FLC) in the conference semifinals 6-3, 7-6(4) and beating the De Anza #1 tandem of Gaviano/Gazikian 8-3 in the NorCal team championship match... Nominated for the ITA Player to Watch for California JuCo… Big 8 North All-Conference 1st Team… Finished the season with state rankings of #32 in singles and #14 in doubles (w/ Vizcarra).

Junior/High School Accolades: Was a 2-star recruit and ranked #622 in the country in the boys’ 18 division according to tennisrecruiting.net… Doubles section champion competing as a senior at Pleasant Valley High School

Favorite Shot: Topspin lob

Favorite Quote: "The best way out is always through.” –Robert Frost

Personal: Favorite athletes are David Goffin and Steve Nash… Favorite human beings are his brothers Jack and Ben… Father Pete played tennis at Cal Poly SLO… Cousin Donald currently plays for the CSU Sacramento tennis team… Cousin Shirley currently plays for UC Davis women’s tennis team.

Why He Chose ARC: “I came to ARC because of the tennis program. I wanted the intensity of the training and I like the emphasis that the program places on using tennis as a way to learn life lessons.”