St. John's coach Davis named best in Mideast

Jim Davis THE BLADE Enlarge | Photo Reprints

St. John's Jesuit tennis coach Jim Davis has been named the Mideast sectional coach of the year, a reflection of his efforts in helping to bring two state championships to the school last spring.

The award, given by the National Federation of State High School Associations, encompasses the states of Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, as well as Washington, D.C. Davis will be honored Sunday in Columbus at an Ohio Tennis Coaches Association workshop.

"It's a neat thing for the program and I still have fun doing it," Davis said. "I'm just as excited about this year coming up as I was last year."

Davis, whose teams are 172-7 in seven seasons, led the Titans to the OTCA team championship in May, one day after Evan Bechtel captured the school's first state singles championship since 1977.

Davis credits his assistants Justin Swiger and Scott Zura, as well as his players past and present, for the program's success.

"They deserve just as much of the credit as I do," he said. "I really believe this is an award that was given because of our program."

St. John's has advanced to at least the state semifinals of the team tournament every season under Davis.