Courting A State Title Former Californian Gsl’s Best In Years

His bloodlines reach to Belfast and the Philippines.

He honed his game near the City of Angels.

So what is Ryan Moran, tennis tournament champion, doing in the Greater Spokane League? Having a good time, by all accounts.

“It’s not like I’m losing a level by playing in the GSL,” said Moran, a Mead junior whose parents came from far-reaching Ireland and the western Pacific.

“The No. 1’s in the GSL are pretty tough. There are no easy matches.”

Moran is closing in on his second consecutive unbeaten GSL season.

He attended Rogers as a freshman, when his family moved from Southern California, but didn’t play GSL tennis because he knew the family’s permanent residence would be in the Mead district.

“At the time, I just heard there was a good new player in town,” said Mead boys tennis coach Bill Wagstaff. “I just thought (he wasn’t playing) because he was underage.”

Moran didn’t tell his Rogers friends about his tennis background. Then a few visited his home and came upon the trophies. Moran was ranked as high as ninth among 14-under players before moving.

The move occurred because Alan Moran, of New York by way of Belfast, wanted to ditch the big-city problems that reached into his neighborhood near Venice Beach, Calif. Moran examined Seattle and Phoenix, among others, before settling on Spokane.

“I wasn’t excited about moving to Spokane,” Ryan Moran admits, “but with the problems around there, I was glad to get out.”

California may have given the Morans some jitters, but it gave Moran a solid tennis background.

The family itself has few tennis roots, although the father competed at a high level in table tennis.

Ryan picked up his first racket at age 5, but didn’t seriously hit the tourney circuit until 11-1/2, late for most players.

“I finally got a coach who changed my forehand,” Moran said. “He got rid of a flick and simplified (the forehand). It really helped my whole game.”

Moran, who enters this weekend’s Inland Empire tournament as the No. 2 seed behind defending champ John Gruber of Ellensburg, doesn’t berate the tennis talent in the cool Northwest.

“The competition here is a little bit weaker, but you just have to look for (talented players),” Moran said. “You can find 10 good players here, just like California, but here you have to look more.”

Wagstaff, a 20-year coach, considers Moran the Hale-Bopp of the GSL.

“Ryan’s a very, very talented player,” Wagstaff said. “He’s probably the top guy to come out of the GSL since I’ve been here.”

Jan Michael Gambill, a pro ranked in the top 300, turned out for Mead’s team as a freshman and sophomore but never played a league match.

Gambill’s brother Tory, a freshman, is Mead’s No. 2 singles player, behind Moran.

“(Mead’s No. 3 singles player) Brett (Kaiser) and Tory are left-handed, so Ryan’s getting used to hitting against lefties,” Wagstaff said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Tournament at a glance Notes on the 52nd Inland Empire Tournament: Defending champions: John Gruber, Ellensburg, boys singles; Brett Kaiser, Mead, boys doubles. Sites: Friday - boys singles, Ferris; boys doubles, Hart Field; girls singles, Shadle Park; girls doubles, Mission Park; mixed doubles, Central Valley. Saturday - all at CV. Top seeds, boys singles: 1, Gruber. 2, Ryan Moran, Mead. 3, Kyle Stelling, Kamiakin. 4, Spencer Piston, Lewis and Clark. Top girls singles: 1, Katherine Martin, Kamiakin. 2, Lindsey Nott, Richland. 3, Jamie Taylor, Hanford. 4, Darcy Ruemping, Ferris. Top boys doubles: 1, Kaiser and Tory Gambill, Mead. 2, Michael Cook and Tyler Kempton, West Valley (Yakima). 3, Mark Gorchels and Rory Clements, Richland. 4, Luke Witt and Riggs Kubiak, Gonzaga Prep. Top girls doubles: 1, Libby Marble and Sarah Therriens, WV (Yakima). 2, Megan McKitterick and Katie Watts, Ferris. 3, Loni Watters and Desirae Melcher, Odessa. 4, Sarah Ullah and Shannon Urza, Richland. Top mixed doubles: 1, Janelle Moore and Nick Dupuis, Richland. 2, Anna Adolphson and Ben Maixner, LC. 3, Katy Huberty and Spencer Shively, Pullman.