C-U's Spin Doctors head to state tennis tournament on Saturday

BLOOMINGTON - After dominating the Champaign-Urbana 3.5 league, going 8-1 in the regular season, the Spin Doctors advanced to the USTA District Tournament on Sunday at Evergreen Racquet Club in Bloomington. Captained by Kai Wang of Champaign, the district title drought for a CU postseason team ended with a 3-2 victory by Spin Doctors over Solty's from Quincy, 3-2.

The Spin Doctors won on the #1 singles court, where Arjun Shah defeated Rick Crider, 6-1, 6-3. The team also picked up wins on two doubles courts to advance to the next round of competition. Shah, who starts graduate school this fall at Stanford University, is unbeaten in 3.5-level play this summer.

Geoffrey Lin lines up a shot during his regular season match with partner Francesco Botticella against Smokin' Aces. Lin and postseason partner D. Comte dropped both sets in a close district match against Bryan Fasano and Roberto Hernandez, 6-4, 7-6.

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Paul Cheung and Ben Lee also notched a win for the CU contingent at #2 doubles, defeating Sammy Shumake and partner Martin McCarthy, 6-2, 6-3. Cheung, a doubles specialist, is 6-1 this summer. Meanwhile, Lee boasts an undefeated doubles record at 4-0.

"It's super exciting to be a part of this team and be able to represent CU at state this year after missing out for such a long time," said team member Hans Dee. Playing at #3 doubles with Wang, they easily won their match over Douglas Mallett and Travis Friye, 6-2, 6-1. "We celebrated by going to a great Chinese buffet in Bloomington after the win.

The last time a Champaign men's 3.5-level tennis team won a district title was in 2007. The Quincy team won six out of the previous seven district championships. Before 2016, the district title was won by a Bloomington or Peoria team.

The Spin Doctors advance to the state Championships to face the 19-man roster of Heritage Rustagi, who finished their regular season in a three-way 7-2 tie with Centennial Anderson and 7 River Trails Ciuca. The team match is scheduled at the Heritage Tennis Club in Arlington Heights.

So far this season, the team's only blemish this summer came on June 5 via a 3-2 loss to Smokin' Aces (2-7).

Members of the Spin Doctors are Kai Wang (Captain), Jack Wang, Arjun Shah, Aditya Gopalan, Ben Lee, Paul Cheung, D Comte, Francesco Botticella, Stephen Paul, Christopher Sisson, Geoffrey Lin, Hans Dee, Charles Sikora, Carl Guo, Jun Huang, and Doyeon Kim.

Area teams also advancing to state championships in other divisions include:

• Teri Scaggs 4.0M Adult 18&O
• Renee Brown 3.5W Adult 18&O
• Leslie Hartman 3.0W Adult 18&O
• Sangwon Park 3.0M Adult 18&O
• Spin Doctors Kai Wang 3.5M Adult 18&O

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Feel the Rush!

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Gardening benefits more than your taste buds, it's good exercise, too

Photo: Zen Chung/Pexels

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by Tim Ditman
OSF Healthcare

PONTIAC - Clare Spires never thought she’d be a frequent gardener.

But now, the exercise physiologist at OSF HealthCare delights in overseeing a community garden at OSF in Pontiac, Illinois. And she’s letting anyone who will listen know that the benefits of gardening go beyond nutritious food.

“It’s really going to help with flexibility, endurance and balance,” Spires says. “There’s a lot of up and down, being on your knees and bending over. If you’re somebody who struggles in those areas, this is going to be a good spot to start.”

Think of it as doing a lot of squats in an hour as you plant seeds and pull weeds. Your flexibility can also be challenged (for the good) if you need to get to an “odd spot” to reach that plant. All this adds up to a decreased risk for things like heart disease and high blood pressure.

The mental benefits of gardening match the physical benefits. It’s motivation to get up in the morning. You’re soaking up the sun, interacting with others and have a sense of accomplishment.

Like any other exercise, there are safety tips to keep in mind when gardening.

• Beat the heat by wearing sunscreen, drinking plenty of water, dressing appropriately (lightweight, light-colored and loose-fitting clothing) and taking breaks.
• Know how to use your tools and have a plan if you’re injured. Have a first aid kit and phone nearby. Try to garden with a friend. Or if not, let someone know your plans.
• Exercise through gardening can be fun, but don’t push through pain, overexert yourself or stay in one position for too long.

“Know your limits. What works for you and what doesn’t,” Spires says. “You can use the rate of perceived exertion [a scale that allows you to measure how much effort an activity takes]. A one level may not be too hard, or you may be totally maxed out at a 10. Try to stay in that four to six range. For example, this is an appropriate weight for me to carry.”

Bend at your knees, not your back. Use your legs to support yourself as you move up and down. And don’t twist your body into unnatural positions. Remember, you won’t reap a full crop in one day. Take your time and enjoy things.

Read more about how to keep your body in top shape on the OSF HealthCare website. OSF also has recipes that can make use of your harvested fruits and vegetables.

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