Craig Rubin-Class of 2001
It’s not very often that the Paul D. Schreiber High School Athletic Hall of Fame committee selects a one-sport athlete to be inducted; however, this year, one of the most exceptional athletes in tennis comes to the court.
Craig Rubin, class of 2001, was a part of the varsity tennis team from seventh grade onward, and not just a ‘fill in’ on the team, but a contributor each and every year.
Schreiber’s Varsity Tennis program was always on the top, often credited to the Port Washington Tennis Academy and Sam Shore’s Tennis Club and the resilience shown by individual coaches and training that occurred at these facilities that began in 1966 by Hy Zausner at the Tennis Academy and 1948 with Sam Shore.
With only a few outdoor courts on a back road, the Academy quickly became a hangout for local kids to play tennis and an academy for juniors. Craig was one of those juniors in the first decade of its start.
In 1993, Port fell from grace of that Division I elite playing group to Conference II – a blow that kept Schreiber challenging to rise back up. The spring of 1996 was no different.
Seventh-grader Craig would play 3rd singles on the Boys’ Varsity Team. In the spring of 1997, Craig made the difference that catapulted Port back on top. Port vs. Jericho; the winner goes to Conference I. Teams had split during the season.
By the end of the first four matches, Port was down 3-1. Second doubles, third doubles, and third singles all mastered their games, leaving the decisive game to the 13-year-old Craig, who would single-handedly preserve his team’s undefeated record, and thus seizing an opportunity to move to Conference I.
Rubin split sets, winning the first 6-4, but losing the second 5-7. Rubin, thriving under pressure, was able to gain control of his mindfulness, beating his opponent 6-3 and was carried away on the shoulders of his teammates.
As a freshman, competing in Conference I for the first time in five years, he qualified for the State doubles Championship with his #1 singles teammate Jake Maxwell. Although they lost to the eventual State Double Champions and became the State Semi-finalist, placing 3rd in the counties, Craig was named an All-County player.
As a sophomore, Craig was again playing #2 singles and was named All-County.
As a junior, “Craig never looked the part of a tennis player,” Coach Stan Mackover said. “He was always calm, consistent, and focused,” he said. He needed to be on that County Championship day when Haimovic vs. Rubin occurred on the Great Neck South courts.
Second-seeded Rubin took control of his opponent and won 6-4, 7-6 (7-4). He became Port’s first Nassau Individual singles champion.
In Craig’s senior year, he was again All-County and finished his career at Port as a six-year varsity letter winner, team captain, senior year, MVP four years in a row, and a 4x All-County player. He was also a NYS Singles Semi-finalist and doubles quarter-finalist.
Craig was ranked 94th in the Nation by the USTA, named Best Junior Tennis Player in the county his senior year, and ranked #4 in the Eastern Division in Boys 18s.
Coach Mackover cites him as one of the best players he has ever coached. Excelling on and off the court, Craig was selected as Salutatorian upon graduation.
Craig went on to play four years at UPENN, where he graduated from the Wharton School of Business in 2005. There, he played singles and doubles, was named co-captain in his junior and senior years, and won the team’s Most Inspirational Award in his senior year.
