2009 Men's Tennis Season Outlook
SEASON OUTLOOK
Adam Shoemaker and the Oberlin College men’s tennis team will look to bounce back with a strong campaign in 2009 after finishing 8-10 overall (3-3 NCAC) and sixth in the NCAC Tournament.
To do so, the Yeomen will have to fill the void left by the departure of last year’s number one player Chris Pray. Pray was named to the All-NCAC First-Team for the third-straight season after being named to the second-team as a freshman.
Oberlin is also looking to fill positions in the middle of its lineup due to the graduations of Tom Page and Ezra Goldman, each of whom were regulars in both singles and doubles in 2008.
With a fair amount of turnover, the Yeomen will rely heavily on junior Ben Godlove. After staring in the lower half of the lineup last spring, Godlove posted strong numbers during his sophomore season by finishing 10-6 while playing in slots three through six. This season he looks to raise his level of play as he is slated toplay in the top of the lineup. “Ben has the ability to compete at the top spot for us,” head coach Adam Shoemaker said. “He has been working extremely hard throughout the summer and fall in order to get better and I think we will see the results of his efforts this spring.”
Sophomore Peter Meckel is another viable option to step up and play within the top three spots. “Peter has the skills to be a very good player in our league,” Shoemaker added. “With the work we have put in this fall, he can hopefully blossom into something special this spring.”
South Korea native, Joe Shin, headlines a deep incoming class and should see action in the middle of the lineup.
With Godlove being the only player having any significant experience, Coach Shoemaker looks to additional newcomers Sage Aronson, Peder Davis, Eliot Heaton, Joseph Leffler, Kevin Smith and Sam Towne to contribute right away.
Junior Sergio Sanchez, and sophomore returnees James Blankenship, Jonathan Wachtel and senior Igor Pancevski are also viable options to fill out the remaining singles and doubles slots.
“Our team has many players with the potential to be very good,” Shoemaker said. “We have quite a bit of raw talent that will surprise some people this year.”
After opening their season in the fall against local rival John Carroll, the Yeomen begin the traditional spring season on February 14 at home against Malone. Two weeks later the conference season gets underway against Ohio Wesleyan.
