Marcus is left-handed and Grant is right-handed. Marcus plays doubles tennis and Grant does singles. Marcus is a bass guitarist, while Grant is a drummer and a school disc jockey.
The Munoz brothers, who are identical twins and juniors at The Overlake School, are different in a lot of ways, but they are locked in on one common goal: earn a spot to May’s Class 1A state tennis tournament.
Marcus advanced to state last season in doubles action with 2009 graduate Ed Sampson and placed third. This spring, Marcus is pairing up with senior Trevor Partington with hopes of a return trip to the state doubles tournament.
“I definitely want to make it back to that semifinal or final round of state,” Marcus said. “We’ll see how it goes. It is going well playing with Trevor. It should be a good season.”
Grant prefers the singles action and is looking for his first state trip after getting bounced from the Emerald City League tournament last season.
“I definitely want to make it through league and into districts and hopefully go to state. Come state, I’m not sure how that will go, but I definitely want to make it to state.”
Overlake, an Emerald City League perennial power, plays in one of the toughest leagues and districts in the state, so getting to the Big Dance will not be easy, but certainly possible, according to longtime Overlake coach Bill Armstrong.
“They have a lot of tennis in them,” Armstrong said of the Munoz twins. “They are talented and have worked hard to stay in shape. They are so fit, it’s ridiculous. They have great potential. We’ll see what happens.”
A BUSY SPRING
No matter what happens on the tennis court, the Munoz twins are in for a busy spring.
In addition to being tennis stars at the school, Marcus and Grant are defenders on Overlake’s state-bound soccer team, which plays in the fall. The Owls soccer team earned a spot to the state tournament, which is held in the spring.
After Overlake’s spring break, which is April 12-16, Marcus and Grant will be doing double duty, with practices for both tennis and soccer. In fact, Marcus’ doubles partner, Trevor Partington, along with Henk Wolda also play both soccer and tennis.
If Marcus and Grant achieve their tennis goal of making it to state, there could be a scheduling conflict. The soccer state semifinals and finals are the same days — May 28-29 — as the tennis state tournament, which is held at the Yakima Tennis Center. The soccer semis and finals will be held at Sunset Chevrolet Stadium in Sumner.
If there is a conflict, tennis will have to be the top priority, according to Overlake athletic director John Wiley.
“Last year our soccer team lost in the quarters so there was no issue,” Wiley explained. “However, this year our boys soccer team is stronger and has won the district in the fall therefore their seeding is much stronger. If they conflict, Marcus and Grant will stay with tennis as we prioritize our spring sport as it is still technically ‘in season.’ They might be able to play in Yakima and then go to Sumner and play in the soccer game(s). If we do conflict, both teams will have had great seasons.”
SPORTS AND MUSIC
Marcus and Grant grew up playing sports as their father, Bob, influenced them to join soccer and tennis clubs. Marcus and Grant started competitively playing tennis in the eighth grade and are currently members of the Mill Creek Tennis Club.
So who’s the better tennis player? Both were diplomatic with their answer.
“It’s a pretty fair split, it’s never a one-sided thing,” Grant said. “We’re always battling.”
Marcus agreed, saying, “our games are pretty similar.”
Even their coach, Armstrong, said their skill level is pretty equal and their games are very similar.
Grant said the fact that they each have a “built-in training partner” has been a key their athletic success.
“Everything we do, pushes the other person to do that much better,” Grant said. “It’s easy for us to push each other because we know what each of us can do.”
However, their passion does not stop on the tennis court or soccer pitch.
Both play in the Overlake Jazz Band — Marcus plays the bass guitar, while Grant plays the drums. They are also members of the Trash Can Drummers, a popular six-student ensemble that plays music with drums, trash cans and paint cans. Marcus recently played the stand-up bass in the school musical, “Beauty and Beast” and Grant keeps the crowd moving at school dances as the disc jockey.
Just like sports, Marcus and Grant got their music itch from their parents. Their house, which sits on five acres in Monroe, has a music room and music was definitely a family affair. Marcus played the bass, Grant was on drums, their father played the guitar and mother tickled the ivory on the piano and their older brother, Rob, who graduated from Overlake two years ago and now attends Gonzaga, played the saxophone.
“We just love playing music together,” Grant said.
But right now, the fun-loving twins are focused on playing some sweet tunes with their tennis rackets.
OVERLAKE BOYS TENNIS AT A GLANCE
• Head coach: Bill Armstrong, 28th season
• Last year: 6-2, league runner-up; 9-3 overall
• 2010 turnout: 35
KEY RETURNERS
• Sr. Trevor Partington: One of the best athletes on the team will pair with Marcus Munoz for the Owls’ top doubles squad.
• Jr. Marcus Munoz: Competed at state last year in doubles action and placed third; will be a “huge part of our success this year,” Armstrong said.
• Jr. Grant Munoz: Another impact player, Marcus’ twin brother, will play No. 2 singles.
• Jr. Henk Wolda: One of the Owls’ most improved players will be a solid contributor.
• Jr. Nishant Velagapudi: Determined player “retooled” his game in the offseason, Armstrong said, and will be another one to watch for the Owls.
TOP NEWCOMER
• Soph. Trym Torvund: Lefty, lanky player is a rising star and will play No. 1 singles.
BIG MATCH
• Tuesday, April 20, 3:30 p.m. vs. The Bear Creek School: Just like Overlake, Bear Creek is loaded with talent. This match could decide the league title.
DID YOU KNOW?
Partington, the Munoz twins, and Henk are members of Overlake’s soccer team, which will compete in this spring’s state tournament in May.
