Colorado College won two of four matches to finish seventh at the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference men's tennis championships, continuing an impressive late-season performance that should be a harbinger of things to come in the very near future.

 

The Tigers featured three sophomores and four freshmen among their nine singles players and won four of their final eight matches, losing only to the two top-ranked teams in the conference and a Division II opponent during the last three weeks of the season.

 

CC opened the tournament with a 9-0 victory over Austin College for its first sweep of the season. Junior Brian Thirkell prevailed 10-8 in the third set at No. 1 singles to keep the shutout intact, while freshman Thomas Modern claimed a hard-fought 7-5, 7-6 decision at No. 3 singles. The Tigers won the other four singles matches in straight sets without losing more than three games in any of them. CC dominated the doubles matches as well, with the closest match an 8-2 decision at No. 2.

 

Colorado College's reward for its first-round victory was a match against second-seeded DePauw on its home court. The eventual tournament champions won 9-0, but two Tigers put up a serious challenge. Senior Tyler Fox forced a third-set tie-breaker at No. 2 singles before falling 7-5, 4-6, 1-0 (11-9) and freshman Sam Barnard dropped a 7-6, 6-1 decision at No. 6 singles.

 

CC had to bounce back after playing two matches on Friday to face Millsaps College, but dropped a 6-3 decision to the Majors in a contest that was closer than the final score indicated. The Tigers would have won the match if they had not dropped identical 9-7 scores at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles, and Millsaps won both singles matches that went to three sets. Fox won his first game before falling 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 at No. 2, while Modern forced a third set before dropping a 6-0, 4-6, 6-2 verdict.

 

The Tigers finished the championship with a 5-4 victory over Hendrix College, winning four of six singles matches to claim the come-from-behind triumph. Freshman Evan Jonker teamed with Thirkell to post an 8-3 win at No. 3 doubles, then won his match at No. 4 singles by a 6-3, 6-3 count.

 

“Despite a very competitive schedule, the team finished strong at the SCAC tournament and showed vast improvement during the course of the year,” said first-year head coach Wayne Emerick.

 

Jonker and Barnard led the Tigers by winning three of four singles matches at the SCAC championships. Jonker tied Fox for the team lead with nine singles victories for the season.

 

Barnard paced the Tigers with seven doubles victories, teaming with sophomore Micky Shaked for six of them. Barnard and Modern finished the season with seven wins apiece in singles play

 

Not only did CC win two of four decisions at the conference championships, the Tigers won four of their final six matches to build momentum heading into the 2009 season.

 

Colorado College returns five of the six players who competed in singles at the SCAC championships, as well as five of six doubles players. A total of nine Tigers who competed in at least one match for CC in 2008 will return next season.

 

The only player not scheduled to return is senior Fox, who tied for the team lead in singles victories after joining the Tigers on March 1 after completion of the swimming season.

 

“Even though the team will lose its captain, Tyler Fox, to graduation, we have all other players returning and are looking forward to the 2009 season,” Emerick said.