Yeomen Get Pumped for Spring Tennis

Springtime has returned to Oberlin, accompanied by the usual cold rain and snow. As the flowers struggle to blossom and the unpredictable storms rage onward, the Oberlin men's tennis team prepares itself for another season of rough competition. The Yeomen hold high prospects for a successful season and a winning record.

Image is Everything: The men's tennis team is looking good during pre-season warmups, a fact that has not escaped the attention of coach Don Hunsinger. (photo by Brian Hodgkin)

This year's squad consists of 10 young and aspiring tennis players. The team lost three seniors to graduation, as well as Jed Greenberg, who disappeared unexpectedly. However, the loss of these players will not dash all hopes of improving on last season's dismal 6-20 record. When asked why the team's performance has steadily declined through the years, Hunsinger pointed to poor turn-over rates: "I think recruiting has dropped off significantly," he said. "[Assistant Coach] Adam [Shoemaker] and I have picked up the pace considerably to attract players to Oberlin."

Despite their troubled past, the team has started off the season with a relatively strong 2-2 record. Coach Hunsinger offered an early projection of the team's success, saying, "I think we can have a good season. I think the team feels the same way."

"The attitude is 1000 percent better this year," he added. "They have been working hard and we're proud of their efforts so far."

First-year Matthew Isaacs expressed his warm and tender feelings toward his teammates with heartwarming honesty, saying, "Because we are practicing so much and playing together, we are developing good friendships." He requested, with a cuddly laugh, that this article mention that one of his teammates, Jason, "is really strong." These touching sentiments illustrate the intimate attachments that form between a small group of men who sweat and slave each day on the tennis courts.

"This year everyone is on a much more even skill level than last year," sophomore Rich Raz said. "I think that helps out a lot because we're able to cooperate. It isn't like anyone is real far ahead and off in their own little world. That's helping our team chemistry."

The improved team chemistry was evident in Oberlin's 7-0 trouncing of Lake Erie College at Heisman field house this past Wednesday. Junior Mike Shelton lead the way for the Yeomen, soundly beating Lake Erie's Chris Sauer 6-0, 6-0 in first singles.

Shelton teamed with Brendan Mislin to beat Sauer and Tom Clevercy 8-1 in doubles play. Junior Ben Fox turned in a strong showing as well, vanguishing Cleversy 6-1, 6-1 in second singles. First-years Ashvin Raj and Rafael Rosen played well in third doubles, winning 8-2.

Raz reflected contentedly over the win, saying, "We all killed them. I mean we really won. We really won bad." Oberlin lost only 11 games in the match.

While Hunsinger talked, he wandered away from the subject of tennis to his fondness of the Godfather movies. His office walls displayed the classic puppet-master-with-strings poster as well as an emotional portrait of Marlon Brando. The coach joked about his love of the Italian culture by saying, "I was supposed to be born Italian and [my parents] switched me at birth."

Although Hunsinger will never be fully Italian in blood, he is certainly fully Italian in soul, just as the men's tennis team is truly composed of winners in spirit. During spring break, the team hist the road for a series of matches in Georgia, Tennessee and Florida.

Oberlin next plays at home April 12 against Wooster at 4 p.m.