Women's Tennis

Occidental Fills Tennis Coaching Positions
August 3, 2006

Courtesy Occidental Sports Information Office

Occidental athletics has hired a pair of experienced coaches, Linda Park and Gerard Picariello (Pik-CAR-ee-EL-lo), to lead the Tiger men's and women's tennis programs.

Picariello, a native of San Clemente, Calif., brings nearly 17 years of coaching experience to the men's team. A teaching professional since 1989, Picariello has spent the past six years in Southern California, apart from a brief stint as director of tennis for Hyatt Resorts of Puerto Rico in 2002-03. He currently serves as head tennis professional at the 28-court Racquet Club of Irvine.

A late bloomer, Picariello began playing tennis at age 14 and went on to become the #1 singles player in the USTA/Middle States Junior Division. Picariello also played #1 singles and doubles at the University of Redlands, where he earned a bachelor's degree in political science.

"Coaching tennis to me is about building individual relationships with each student-athlete and helping them to understand the game on a new level," offered Picariello. "Getting better individually will translate into team success. I'm excited and looking forward to building the program."

Oxy men's tennis went 11-9 overall (6-4 in conference play) in 2006, earning fourth place in the SCIAC for the second consecutive season. The Tigers graduated Second Team All-Conference selection Brett Baker but return the rest of their lineup.

Park, a native of San Marino and current resident of South Pasadena, was also a top-flight competitor in USTA Juniors, achieving a ranking of 10th in singles, 1st in doubles, in the Southern California section before attending UC-Berkeley, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in social welfare in 1991. A former elementary school teacher, Park has taught private tennis lessons for many years throughout the San Gabriel Valley.

"My philosophy in coaching is to emphasize team unity and encourage commitment," says Park. "Identifying personal and team goals will be the first steps toward success. I am looking forward to partnering with this team and to achieving our goals together."

The Oxy women claimed their second consecutive fourth-place SCIAC finish in 2006 after landing fifth from 2000-2004. The Tigers return three-time All-SCIAC First Team selection Kelly Hasagawa '07 and four talented sophomores (Allison Beresford, Lauren Harris, Taylor Kaplan, and All-SCIAC Second Team pick Jennifer Wahba) who saw significant action last spring.

Occidental women's tennis boasts a rich history of success with more than 20 conference titles, a national championship in 1982, and national runner-up honors in 1986 and 1987. Tennis is one of the oldest sports programs at Occidental, with a lineage that dates back more than a century.