Swat Splits Weekend in Virginia
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- Freshman Zak Kelm won a pair of singles matches at the No. 3 spot as the Swarthmore men's tennis team split a pair of non-conference matches on the campus of the University of Mary Washington.
Swarthmore (2-4) dropped a 7-2 decision at 15th-ranked Mary Washington on Saturday, March 21 then came back on Sunday to upset #23 Christopher Newport, 5-4, on Sunday.
Against Mary Washington, Kelm (Shaker Heights, Ohio / University School) rallied from down a set to defeat Jason Dunn 4-6, 6-3 6-4 at No. 3. The other Garnet point was earned at the No. 2 doubles spot when Stephen Youngblood ’12 (Norcross, Ga. / homeschooled) and Mark Wee ’11 (Syosset, N.Y. / Syosset) topped Evan Goff and Andrew Frisk from UMW by a score of 8-3.
Playing at Mary Washington’s Battleground Courts, the Garnet took five of the six singles matches to earn a win over Christopher Newport who came into the match ranked three spots ahead of Swarthmore in the ITA Mid-Atlantic regional poll (Garnet are 12th / CNU 9th).
After falling behind 3-0 after doubles play on Sunday, the Garnet cruised through singles competition. Senior captain Kevin Shaughnessy (South Kingstown, R.I. / South Kingstown) won 6-3, 7-5 at No. 2 over Dusty Nelson while Kelm picked up his second win of the weekend, a 7-5, 6-3 decision over Lorenzo Sison. Senior JJ England (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. / The Benjamin School) was awarded the victory at No. 4 after CNU’s Martin Brown had to retire. Wee earned a straight-set win at No. 5 with scores of 7-5, 6-4 while senior Mark Greenburg (Paradise Valley, Ariz. / Phoenix Country Day) rounded out the Garnet lineup with a 6-2, 6-2 victory in the No. 6 spot.
Swarthmore opens up its second year in the Centennial Conference on Saturday, March 28, welcoming McDaniel College to campus for a 11:00 a.m. match. The Garnet travel south on Sunday to face their fifth nationally-ranked opponent in five matches, taking on #18 Washington & Lee at 11:00 a.m. in Lexington, Va.