2010 Tennis Preview: Garnet Men Take Aim at Centennial
SWARTHMORE, Pa. -After falling just short of a Centennial Conference championship in 2009 – losing in the title game to reigning champion Johns Hopkins - the Swarthmore College men’s tennis team returns to the courts in 2010 regrouped and focused in on a title, hoping that a very young but very talented crop of players can lead it to a conference championship and back into the NCAA Championships.
Sophomore Zak Kelm will look to lead the Garnet in 2010
While the Garnet will have only one senior on the roster in 2010, there is plenty of big-match experience retuning in the form of sophomore Zak Kelm (Shaker Heights, Ohio / University School), junior Mark Wee (Syosset, N.Y. / Syosset) and sophomore Stephen Youngblood (Norcross, Ga. / Lighthouse Christian Academy).
Kelm enters the 2010 spring season coming off a spectacular freshman campaign and a promising 2009 fall season. Last year, Kelm finished undefeated in regular season No. 1 doubles matches - pairing up with graduating senior Kevin Shaughnessy - on his way to being named to the All-Centennial First Team. Kelm also finished with the best Centennial record in No. 3 singles at 7-1.
Ranked No. 10 in the South Atlantic region in singles play heading into the spring, Kelm is now expected to step up into the No. 1 singles spot for the Garnet. If the fall was any indication for Kelm – where he reached the quarterfinals of the ITA Fall Southeast Regionals - he should have no problem taking the mantle as the leader of the Garnet.
Big things are also expected from Wee and Youngblood. Last season, Wee finished 12-9 in singles play, mostly competing from the No. 4 spot, while Youngblood finished 8-14 playing from No. 1. In doubles play, the pair combined to form one of the best combos in the conference - finishing 10-4 – 8-1 in Centennial play – in No. 2 doubles play. The play of the Kelm, Wee and Youngblood trio will go a long in determining whether or not Swat can be successful in 2010.
Also returning for the Garnet with experience will be sophomores Maxwell Bressman (Chappaqua, N.Y. / Horace Greeley) and Eric Legunn (Waccabuc, N.Y. / John Jay). The pair finished 5-4 in No. 3 doubles in 2009.
Several newcomers who saw action in the fall will counted on to provide depth, including freshmen Malikm Mubeen (Radfors, Va./Radford), Seth Udelson (Cleveland, Ohio/University School), and James Wieler (Baltimore, Md./Gilman School).
Legendary head coach Mike Mullan returns to Swarthmore for his 31st season. Once again, Swat will face one of the most difficult schedules in the nation facing five preseason nationally-ranked squads in non-conference play – No. 15 North Carolina Weslyan (3/6), No. 25 Salisbury (3/7), No. 21 Kalamazoo (3/23), No. 7 Williams (4/3), and No. 19 Mary Washington (4/10). The Garnet jump into Centennial Conference play on Saturday, March 27 with a trip to McDaniel.