Sometimes you meet interesting people

Over the past couple of days I had the chance to talk with some interesting people. Three stuck out in ways that remind me how small the world can sometimes seem.

Sonya's tennis coach made a remark to me about his background. He played competitively at a national level as a youth and earned a scholarship to play tennis for Rutgers. While currently selling lessons under the name of Hank Mandeville, a young Henry Mandeville competed in a 1985 tournament in Kalamazoo, Michigan against the likes of Andre Agassi, Michael Chang, Jim Courier, and Pete Sampras. I asked if he ever competed against these elite players and he said he did. He claimed to have defeated Todd Martin. In 2001, Lisa and I went to a tennis match and Todd Martin was the only pro player I ever saw play men's tennis (plus whoever he played that day).

Also, at the pool we met a couple of Notre Dame connections. Hard to believe out of a group of maybe 50 people there were three alumni and a student hanging out together in North Carolina. Maybe in South Bend this would be less unique, but Domers are few and far between around here.

First, we met a high school senior glad to recently graduate and looking forward to his first year at Notre Dame. He shared with us he received a scholarship to run track for the school. Eric Ways lives locally but attended a board school in Virginia called  Woodberry Forrest.

Second, we met an alumni that graduated five years before us. Daniel Meier is a local defense lawyer. Within minutes of meeting him, Dan shared with us that he represented Crystal Mangum in her murder defense. Crystal is infamous as the dancer involved in the Duke lacrosse case in 2006. She lost her murder case and was sentenced to 18 years in prison.