BY DOUG McKENZIE
Staff Writer
FARRAH MAFFAI staff East Brunswick senior Vivek Subramanian has chosen Miami University to further his tennis career, after establishing himself as one of the top high school players in the nation.
Vivek Subramanian, a senior at East Brunswick High School, has signed a national letter of intent to attend the University of Miami.
The decision ends all the speculation regarding where one of the nation’s top high school tennis players will take his considerable talent following the upcoming season.
Subramanian, who finished second in the state individual tournament earlier this spring, is ranked among the top 20 nationally in singles and top 10 in doubles tennis. He was named to the first team All-State team in both singles and doubles last year, and won the Florida Bush National Open in the boys 18-year-old division over the summer.
He chose Miami over schools such as Illinois, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Duke and Stanford, and said that while he kept an open mind throughout the recruiting process, Miami stood out in his mind all along.
"When I went down there, it was my first recruiting trip, and I pretty much fell in love with the place," he said. "The people were extremely friendly, and the coach was probably the greatest factor in my decision."
Miami’s program struggled a bit last year, finishing the season 13-8, but should get a much-needed boost with the arrival of Subramanian.
And the University of Miami considers itself extremely fortunate to land such a renowned talent.
"We are very excited about signing Vivek," University of Miami tennis coach Bryan Getz said. "Not only will he have an immediate impact on our tennis program, but we feel very fortunate to gain a student athlete who possesses such great character and work ethic on the court and in the classroom."
In addition to being a stellar player, Vivek is a member of the National Honor Society and a student council representative. But it is on the tennis courts where he really separates himself from his peers.
"He’s right up there with the best we’ve ever had," his coach, Bill Pellagrino, who’s been coaching for 37 years, said. "He could be the best before he’s done."
Subramanian, who plans to study medicine at Miami, almost met his preseason goal this year by winning the New Jersey state championship, only to lose in the state final to Vlad Stoliarenko of Moorestown 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
It turned out to be Subramanian’s only loss of the season, a stellar season slightly interrupted when he traveled to California to compete in the Easter Bowl in the 18-and-under nationals.
"He’s not very big or strong, but he has tremendous speed and tremendous quickness," Pellagrino said. "And he has great velocity on his racquet swing. Much like in baseball, you try to have good velocity when you swing the bat; the same thing is true in tennis. When you create great speed on your swing, you’re able to hit the ball harder.
"Vivek [pronounced Vee-vak] just does everything well," the East Brunswick coach added. "He runs extremely well, he volleys, he does everything. He has a total game."
The Bears’ No. 1 singles player since he arrived at East Brunswick, Subramanian reached the round of 16 as a freshman before sustaining his first and only loss of the season.
He lost only twice as a sophomore, once during the regular season and again in the state quarterfinals. Then as a junior, he reached the state finals before suffering only his fourth career loss.
"So he gets better each time," Pellagrino said.
At Miami, Vivek will undoubtedly get a starting spot, though he will have to compete for which starting spot that will be.
"The coach has assured me that I will start, but it will be a toss-up for a spot," he said. "I’ll have to challenge for a top spot."
For now, the senior is concentrating on his school and preparing for his senior season, when he hopes to emerge as the state’s top player. Making his decision should help him in that regard.
"It’s a big load off my mind, and now I can focus on certain aspects of school," he said.