Performance of the Week: Northville's Sachiv Kumar
October 21, 2021
Sachiv Kumar ♦ Northville
Sophomore ♦ Tennis
The Lower Peninsula Division 1 No. 1 singles bracket always is considered a showcase of premier players in Michigan, with seven of the last 10 Mr. Tennis Award winners emerging from that flight. Top seeds tend to dominate – over the last decade, LPD1 No. 1 singles has been won by the top seed six times and the second seed the other four seasons. Similarly, at the four 2021 LP Boys Tennis Finals last weekend, 11 flights were won by top seeds and four were won by second seeds. And all of that made what Kumar accomplished Friday at Kalamazoo College even more phenomenal.
Just a sophomore, Kumar entered the LPD1 No. 1 singles bracket as the fifth seed and defeated the fourth and top seeds before downing unseeded Clayton Anderson of Rochester in the championship match 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (5). The 6-7 (6), 6-0, 7-5, semifinal win over top seed Noah Roslin of Bloomfield Hills avenged a loss from earlier this fall, and Kumar wrapped up his season with a 24-7 record.
His Finals success wasn’t entirely a first for his family, however. Older sister Shanoli Kumar won No. 2 singles in LPD1 as a freshman in 2015, was runner-up at the same flight in 2016 and runner-up at No. 1 in 2018 on her way to winning that year’s Miss Tennis Award. Oldest sister Reeshma Kumar was part of the No. 2 doubles runner-up in LPD1 in 2016 and part of the No. 1 doubles runner-up in 2015.
Follow the MHSAA on TikTok.
Second Half’s "Performance of the Week" features are powered by MI Student Aid, a part of the Office of Postsecondary Financial Planning located within the Michigan Department of Treasury. MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s 529 college savings programs (MET/MESP), as well as scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
2021-22 Honorees
Oct. 14: Kate Brody, Grand Blanc golf - Report
Oct. 7: Lilly Nelson, Negaunee tennis - Report
Sept. 30: Stella Chapman, Ann Arbor Pioneer swimming - Report
Sept. 23: Riley Hough, Hartland cross country - Report
Sept. 16: Josie Bloom, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep volleyball - Report
PHOTOS courtesy of the Northville tennis program.
Dow Completes Perfect Season with Another Dominating Finals Performance
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
October 21, 2023
GRAND RAPIDS – Austin King would have been hard-pressed four months ago to come up with a single word which would aptly describe his coming junior season.
But now the Midland Dow No. 1 singles player has one.
Perfection.
King finished off a perfect season by defeating Drew Hackney of Muskegon Mona Shores 6-2, 6-3, at Saturday's Lower Peninsula Division 2 Boys Tennis Finals at the Grand Rapids Racquet and Fitness Club. The win capped a stunning performance by Midland Dow that included sweeping all four singles flights en route to 29 total points, five better than runner-up Birmingham Seaholm.
King, who boosted his career record to 99-12 over three seasons, never lost a single set in any of his 37 wins this fall. The championship erases some of the frustration from a year ago when King lost in the semifinals to finish 34-5.
"I definitely put the work in over the summer, so I knew it was possible," King said. "Winning state has always been a dream of mine."
The team title by unbeaten Midland Dow, ranked No. 1 in the state for most of the season, was the eighth in 17 seasons and second straight for coach Terry Schwartzkopf. In all, Dow had five flights reach championship matches, a feat which didn't necessarily come as a surprise. Dow has seven seniors and all but three players back from the 2022 Division 2 champion.
Mattawan was third this weekend with 22 points, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern was fourth with 19 and Birmingham Groves was fifth with 18.
While Schwartzkopf said every team is different, the current club was marked by a terrific senior class.
"I know we have kids who have as good of records as we've had, but I knew I could count on these guys, no matter the situation," he said.
As for King, Schwartzkopf said it's pure drive which makes him successful.
"He's got the experience, the drive, the determination," Schwartzkopf said. "When he was in middle school, he came up to me and said (his teammates) would bring a state title to Dow."
Joining King as flight champs were teammates Aaron Li at No. 2 singles, Logan Yu at third singles and Nimai Patel at No. 4. Li defeated Mason Crosby of South Lyon East 6-4, 6-1, while Yu downed Gerritt Cheng of Mattawan 7-6, 6-1, and Patel knocked off Dylan Hodgman of Mattawan 6-4, 6-1.
In doubles, Dow had one duo make the finals. But Mattawan's Andrew Williams and Tanner Segraves defeated Dow's Roofy Elsaadamy and Vishagan Karthikeyan 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 in the No. 1 flight.
While Schwartzkopf praised his singles teams, it was the strength of the doubles flights which helped the Chargers finish on top. Dow's third and fourth doubles teams made the quarterfinals and semifinals.
"We didn't anticipate the doubles teams being as strong as they were," he said. "The singles flights didn't surprise me that much because we were all back in singles. But every team is special for different reasons. You have your ups and your falls, but we have a lot of senior leadership. They've been absolutely incredible and one of the coolest things I've experienced."
William Knoester and Alex Chen of Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central defeated Carson Wright and Sean Joyce of Seaholm 6-3, 6-3, to win the No. 2 doubles flight.
In the third doubles flight, Benji Cook and Nathan Lucken of Groves defeated Mohan Badhwar and Sammy Abdo of Seaholm 6-3, 6-3, in the final.
At No 4 doubles, Leo Kim and Finlay Sparby of Seaholm defeated Austin Rowland and Owen Godley of Forest Hills Central 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, in the final.
King said he wasn't put off by the pressure of being unbeaten as the season progressed.
"I like the pressure. As a No. 1 singles player, you want to be the best and to do that you have to beat the best," he said. "We knew there was a target on our back as a team, but we put in a lot of work over the summer."
Yu won his flight despite severe leg cramps during his second set. After winning the first 7-6, he took a 3-0 lead in the second set. But he was sidelined as doctors tried to get him ready to finish off the title.
"It was really tough," he said. "I won 7-6, but that was as tough as it could be. Garrett played well and I started to cramp up, but then I started to feel better."
(Click for more photos from High School Sports Scene.)