Arce playing for more than just A-10 title

Moritz: Acre playing for more than A-10 title

04/11/2003

OLEAN — Everyone knew Mario Arce was good.
He came to St. Bonaventure a year-and-a-half ago with glittering tennis credentials. A member of his country’s Davis Cup team. The No. 1 spot on the Bolivian under-18 national team. A top-five ranking in his homeland. Years of experience on the ultra-competitive junior circuit.
But no one knew he was this good.
Arce is the best player on a very good Bona team, one that is expected to compete for the Atlantic 10 title at this weekend’s league championships. Play begins today at the Oxford Athletic Club outside of Pittsburgh and runs through Sunday.

“I think we’re ready,” Arce said earlier this week before practice at the St. Bonaventure Tripodi Center. “I think we can win it all. We have the talent, we have the players — we could win.”
The Bonnies will be playing for an NCAA Tournament berth — which would be their second in three years.
Arce is playing for more. The friendly, perpetually smiling sophomore is also playing for a spot in the history books.
“I think he could probably be the best player we’ve ever had here,” said Bona coach Michael Bates. “I didn’t think he’d be as good as he is now as a sophomore. He’s got the ability, he’s got all the tools, everything necessary to be the best player ever here. But we’ll see.”

A NATIVE of Alejandro Del Carpio, Bolivia and the youngest of four children, Arce began playing tennis when he was eight years old.
His cousin, Alberto Castillanos, who’s 10 years older than Arce and a nationally ranked star in Bolivia, drew him into the game.
“It was because of him that I started playing,” Arce said. “He was one of the best players in my country.”
As an eight-year old, Arce began working with a coach, Jorge Paniagua. He’s still Paniagua’s pupil.
“When I go back home, I still practice with him,” Arce said. “He’s like an older brother. He’s helped me my whole tennis career ... and he has a good relationship with my family.”

By the time he was 10, Arce was playing qualifying tournaments. At age 12, he was a national junior champion, playing tournaments all over South America and even a couple in the U.S. — including the prestigious Orange Bowl tournament.
“My parents helped me so much,” he said. “I got so much support from them — they were there all the time.”
When he was 16, Arce left Bolivia for a five-month stint at the Niagara Tennis Academy in St. Catherines, Ontario. It was the farthest away — and longest time — he’d ever been away from home.
“I’ve been away since I was 12, playing tournaments, so I was kind of used to it,” Arce said. “But usually, I’d be away from home for just a month. It was a big change, but it helped me so much. It helped me as a person and it helped me, of course, as a player.”

After returning to Bolivia for some tournaments — including a stint on the country’s 2001 Davis Cup Team — Arce returned to St. Catherines.
He was being courted by Niagara, but that program didn’t have enough scholarship money to offer him.
Which is when Bates and Bona stepped in.
“He has all the shots,” Bates said. “He could hit everything. I knew he played at a pretty high level coming from Bolivia, so I knew mentally he was pretty strong.”
Arce joined the Bonnies midway through the year and immediately started at third singles, behind upperclassmen Vili Nurmi and Mikko Haulos — who were the cornerstones of Bona’s 2001 NCAA Tournament team.
That first semester was an adjustment for Arce.
“First of all, in South America I always played on clay courts,” Arce said. “That was different, but now I really like to play on hard courts.
“College is so different ... at home tennis is so individual. In college, it’s more of a team game. What you do personally is satisfaction for you, but it’s never as good as what you do as a team.”
But Arce quickly found his groove. He became fast friends with his teammates. In half a year, Arce went 17-4 and was named A-10 Rookie of the Year. He also earned a national ranking — No. 135 in the ITA rankings.
He’s the first — and to date only — Bona player to be nationally ranked.

“I think it validated everything we’ve been trying to do with the program, trying to bring it to the next level,” Bates said.
Arce added, “When I came here, I didn’t know how tough college tennis was. There are hundreds of really good players all over the country. It’s really tough to get nationally ranked, so that was a really good satisfaction for me.”
This year, Arce’s been spectacular. Playing mostly at first singles, he’s a team-best 21-10, including a perfect 4-0 in A-10 play. He’s also tied for the team-high with 14 team wins.
“He’s proven that he can play with anybody,” Bates said. “He’s done well in some of the regional tournaments. It doesn’t matter who he plays, he wants to win 6-0, 6-0 every match, if he can. That’s the kind of player he is. He never lets up.”
As a sophomore, Arce’s already one of the best players in school history.
And he’s still got two years left ... which means he’s only going to get better.
“I’ve been playing my best tennis,” Arce said. “I’ve matured so much in my tennis. I’ve gotten so much stronger, I’m much more prepared. Every aspect of my tennis is better.”
(Brian Moritz is a sports writer for The Times Herald. He can be reached at bmoritz@oleantimesherald.com)