Fall Wrapup

The  formal fall season for the Middlebury Men’s Tennis Team wrapped up last week. The last week of practice came to an end with a highly competitive and enjoyable intersquad match Saturday. The next phase for the Panthers will be a period of captain’s practices leading up to the J Term. This phase will be led by the three senior captains; Will Oberrender, Alec Parower, and Spencer Lunghino.

Looking back on the fall season, there were many highlights. Player development was a successful focal point of the fall season. Many strides were made in both singles and doubles play throughout the fall. Quite a few new Panthers showed a ton of improvement in a short period of time. Freshman Jack Welch entered the fall with some ground to gain on some other higher ranked recruits, and through his hard work at practice, he did just that. Palmer Campbell made a statement at the Fall ITA with a run to the semi finals dispatching several quality opponents.  Jackson Frons opened his Panther career with a great win at the Midd Invite beating a very experienced opponent.  The improvement of the freshmen was not the only highlight of the fall season. The Panthers have found a very solid doubles team in the pairing of Lunghino and junior transfer Alex Johnston. The play of Johnston has definitely been a bright spot for the Panthers. Johsnton and Lunghino put on a brilliant display of doubles at the Dartmouth Shootout, winning the “A” flight in impressive fashion.

Some of the younger Panthers excelled during the fall season as well. A huge highlight from the fall was the play of freshman Ari Smolyar at the Dartmouth Shootout. Smolyar won all seven matches he played in at the tournament, teaming up with sophomore Courtney Mountifield to win the “D” flight doubles draw. In addition to his great leadership senior Will Oberrender was impressive in his singles effort at Dartmouth beating several Div l opponents.  At the Bates Invitational Tournament, the sophomore duo of Chris Frost and Peter Heidrich took down two quality opponents in doubles, knocking off the number two doubles teams for both Bates and Bowdoin. Another huge contributor to the Panther squad this fall was senior captain Alec Parower. Parower fought through a painful hand injury throughout the fall. His positive attitude and incredible work ethic were a huge source of inspiration for fellow Panthers. Parower’s fall was highlighted by a nice run at the Fall ITA Regional Tournament, where he had a couple of solid wins before falling to Mark Kahan of Amherst in one of the tournament’s best played matches.

From an overall program and team culture standpoint, the team is very much together and on the same page in regards to the common goals shared for the rest of the season. The senior leadership of this team has definitely helped put everyone in a great position to improve everyday in a positive environment, while also making the transition to college tennis incredibly smooth for all of the new members to the program. Many thanks to all parents and alumni for supporting the Middlebury Tennis Program in their efforts to forge a championship team. We will keep you posted with our next projects as we raise support for our Spring Break trip and training enhancements.

Dartmouth and Bates Weekend Wrapup

Senior Captains Alec Parower (left) and Will Oberrender

The Middlebury Men’s Tennis Team split up and hit the road this past weekend, competing in flighted events at both Dartmouth and Bates. Both events gave the Panthers a chance to compete against some great tennis programs in the New England area.

Middlebury sent seven players to New Hampshire for the annual Dartmouth Shootout. Other schools competing in the tournament were Williams, Stony Brook, and Army. All seven players for Midd notched at least one victory over the three day event. Highlighting the weekend’s action was the doubles play of Senior Spencer Lunghino and Junior Alex Johnston. The pair took home the “A” flight title, picking up wins against two of Dartmouth’s top doubles teams after a first round bye. For a complete look at the weekend’s results from Dartmouth, visit http://www.dartmouthsports.com//pdf8/952740.pdf.

With a few players abroad this semester, Middlebury had only four players to send to the Wallach Invitational at Bates College in Maine. The skeleton crew performed admirably. The sophomore duo of Peter Heidrich and Chris Frost advanced to the semifinals of the “A” doubles flight. The pair knocked off the number two doubles team from Bates before defeating the number two team from Bowdoin in the quarterfinals. Freshman Allen Jackson also made a deep run in the “B” singles flight. Jackson notched two impressive wins before falling to a tough player from Bowdoin in the semifinals. Freshman Jack Welch also got in on the fun, picking up a first round win before falling in the second round in the “D” flight. To check out all of the results from Bates, visit http://abacus.bates.edu/sports/mten/13/wallach12-onepage.pdf.

Fall ITA Tournament Results

Junior Alex Johnston lining up a backahnd

The men’s tennis team turned in several impressive results at the ITA Regional hosted by Williams over the weekend. Freshman Palmer Campbell advanced to the semifinals round of the 64-man tournament, before falling to Andrew Yaraghi of Amherst  6-3, 6-2. Campbell won four straight-set matches at the event, including a 7-6 (4), 6-1 win over Brandon Roode of Nichols in the quarterfinals.

Junior Alex Johnston also turned in a solid performance, advancing to the quarterfinal round with three wins before falling to Yaraghi, 7-6 (6), 6-7 (5), 6-1. Senior Alec Parower picked up a pair of straight-set wins before falling in the round of 16 to semifinalist and top seed Mark Kahan of Amherst, 6-4, 6-7 (8), 6-1.

In doubles play, Johnston and senior Spencer Lunghino earned a pair of 8-2 wins before falling to finalists Rob Crampton and Matt Bettles of Bates, 8-6 in the quarterfinals.

Across the board, the Middlebury Men showed marked improvement in their volley technique and doubles play. A focus point of practice in the first few weeks of fall practice, it seems as though the Panthers net game is definitely moving in the right direction. The on court training will continue to focus on doubles and net play while also looking at other aspects that will allow us to move towards our goal of being a championship team.

We would like to sincerely thank the Midd parents who came to Williams to support the Panthers. One of the many highlights of the weekend was seeing how well the team traveled together. Support from the teammates and parents during all of the matches this weekend was truly incredible.

Going forward, the team will split up this weekend for events at both Dartmouth and Bates. Both groups will compete in a singles and doubles flighted event. Please follow us on twitter and facebook for live updates this weekend and thanks again for all of your support.

Midd Invite Wrapup

Junior Alex Johnston serving and
Freshman Palmer Campbell at the
2012 Middlebury Invitational.

The Middlebury Invitational Tournament came to an end Sunday afternoon after a successful weekend consisting of four flights of singles and two flights of doubles. Several area schools competed in the tournament including Bates, Tufts, Trinity, Skidmore, Brandeis, Vassar along with Middlebury. For the freshmen on the Midd squad, this was their first taste of competitive college tennis. After a little more than a week of training with and against their own teammates, the Midd Invite offered an excellent opportunity to compete against some interconference and regional opponents.

Competing in the A Flight Singles draw were some of the newest Panthers. Freshman Jackson Frons and Junior transfer Alex Johnston both impressed in their Middlebury debuts. Frons knocked out Skidmore number one Oliver Loutsenko in straight sets before falling to eventual finalist Matt Bettles of Bates. Alex Johnston reached the semifinals in impressive fashion, winning his quarterfinal match 6-0, 6-0. Johnston then lost a well fought match against returning All American Rob Crampton of Bates in a third set matchbreaker.

The B Flight singles draw also featured one of the newest Panthers. Freshman Palmer Campbell lost a heartbreaking match 21-19 in the third set matchbreaker, falling short after having ten match points. Despite the loss, Palmer showed tremendous toughness and competed wonderfully throughout the match. Also featured in the B Flight were some returning members of the Middlebury team. Sophomore Peter Heidrich showed some newfound firepower in his game, using his forehand as a weapon time and again before coming up just short in his quarterfinal match. Fellow sophomore Courtney Mountifield showed tremendous heart and a rock steady game in a quarterfinal win over Pierre Planche, a fine player from Bates. Mountifield came up just short in his semfinal match against an up and coming player from Trinity.

Middlebury’s roster depth was on full display in the C Flight Singles draw. Two new members of the team and one senior leader advanced all the way to the semifinals, making up three fourths of the semifinalists in the draw. Freshmen Ari Smolyar and Allen Jackson cruised through their early round matches en route to the semifinals. Once there, Jackson sneaked past Middlebury senior captain Will Oberrender setting up an All-Midd finals between Smolyar and Jackson. Both freshmen competed fiercely and in the end, Smolyer won a third set matchbreaker to clinch the C Flight title. Also noteworthy was the play of Oberrender leading up to the semifinals. A returning doubles specialist from last year, Oberrender found a new level of play in singles game this tournament, utilizing the serve and volley along with his attacking style of play.

The doubles draws consisted of an A and a B flight. Several Panther teams competed and earned some wins. One of the more memorable highlights of the weekend was the play of doubles teammates Alec Parower and freshman Jack Welch. Called into action days before the tournament, Welch was originally scheduled to only compete in singles draw. The unlikely pair teamed up for a couple of wins together, showing the power of removing expectations from competition. Parower and Welch both leaned on some monster forehands to advance to the semifinals before falling to eventual champs Rob Crampton and Matt Bettles of Bates.

Moving forwards, the Panthers look to grow and move their doubles in a positive direction in the weeks to come. A big thank you to all the parents that came out and supported the Panthers this weekend. It is no doubt a great joy to watch this Panther Tennis Family continue to grow together.

Season Wrapup

The 2011-12 season came to an end for the Middlebury Men’s Tennis Team this past Sunday in Baltimore. After defeating Grove City College in the second round of the NCAA tournament, Middlebury lost to Johns Hopkins 5-2 in the round of 16. For a complete recap of the Hopkins vs. Midd match, visit http://www.middlebury.edu/athletics/sports/menstennis/archive/2011-2012/news/node/362398.

Despite falling short of the performance goals set this season by the coaching staff and team, we made great strides in moving towards preparing for our long term goal of competing for a national championship on many fronts.  All the challenges we faced were more than balanced by the tremendous joy we shared on our journey this season. 

A couple of individuals were recognized for their accomplishments on court this year. Senior Derrick Angle was named second team All-Conference, while sophomore Brantner Jones was selected first team All-Conference. Jones was also selected as one of the top 32 players in the country and was invited to the NCAA Individual National Tournament starting next Thursday, May 24^th, in Cary, North Carolina.  You can follow his progress at: http://www.ncaa.com/sports/tennis-men/d3

The coaches would like to thank all of the members of this year’s squad for their hard work, courage, desire to improve and openness to the new regime. Having three head coaches in as many years was no doubt a challenge, but one that was met head on by each and every member of the team.  Special thanks and best wishes to our three seniors, Derrick Angle, David Farah and Eric Vehovec.

Adam and I would also like to thank all the parents, Alumni, and boosters of Panther Tennis for all their warm welcome, support and generosity.  We could not be more excited about the opportunity and look forward to the process continuing to develop this special program.

The next edition of the Midd Tennis Nation will feature our recruiting class and plans for next year.  Thanks again for your kind and generous support.

Middlebury Qualifies for NCAA Tournament

The Middlebury men’s tennis team is headed to Baltimore this weekend to compete in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The regional site hosted by John Hopkins features five teams with the Panthers playing the winner of Penn State – Harrisburg and Grove City College. The other side of the regional features a match between host John Hopkins and Elizabethtown.

The NCAA qualification comes after a semifinal appearance by Middlebury in last weekend’s NESCAC Conference Tournament. A 5-4 win over Bates in the quarterfinals of NESCACs likely assured a bid to the NCAA Tourney for the Panthers. After knocking off Bates, Midd fell to Amherst 5-1 in the semifinal round. The match was much closer than the final score showed, with the Panthers taking sets at one and four singles and falling in a tiebreaker at one doubles. The coaching staff and players would like to thank everyone who came and supported Midd during the NESCAC tournament. A special thank you to former players Elliot Jia and Andy Peters, both of whom were members of the 2010 National Champion Midd team. Former Middlebury Coach Dave Schwarz was also in attendance, much to the delight of many current Panthers. A special thanks also goes to Ken Jones for treating the Panthers to a great post match dinner Saturday night.

The men seem to be hitting their stride with the first round of NCAAs right around the corner. In particular, the doubles play of all the Panthers is moving in the right direction after a great deal of emphasis on doubles during the last few weeks of practice. Follow the progress of Midd this weekend on twitter.

Go Midd!

Midd Takes Down Skidmore 8-1

Following a minor shakeup in the singles lineup and a major reshuffling of the doubles lineup, the Middlebury Men’s Tennis team defeated Skidmore 8-1 Tuesday afternoon. The Panthers return to action today against M.I.T. at 3:30 p.m.

Doubles play was highlighted by the outstanding performance of the new number three doubles team of Andrew Lebovitz and Alec Parower. The pair cruised to an 8-3 win utilizing Parower’s steady play from the baseline and Lebovitz’s big game at net. Junior Spencer Lunghino teamed up with Brantner Jones at number one doubles for an 8-5 win. Using a break of serve up 6-5, Midd cruisied onto victory taking advantage of Lunghino’s massive serves.

In singles, freshman Peter Heidrich took advantage of his first opportunity playing in the top six this season with a come from behind three set victory at number six singles.  Senior Derrick Angle continued his torrid run at three singles with a 6-1, 6-3 victory. Visit http://www.middlebury.edu/athletics/sports/menstennis/archive/2011-2012/news/node/359585 for more results.

A quick technical update for all of our fans, we have started a twitter account under the handle @middtennis. The account will be used for a number of updates regarding the team, including live match updates. We also have linked the twitter account with our blog homepage.http://www.middlebury.edu/athletics/sports/menstennis/archive/2011-2012/news/node/359585

Williams/Bowdoin Weekend Wrapup

The Middlebury Men’s Tennis team finished a tough weekend of NESCAC action Saturday evening. After dropping a dual match against Williams 7-2 Friday, the Panthers lost a heartbreaker to Bowdoin 5-4.

Against Bowdoin, Midd dropped all three doubles matches digging an early 3-0 deficit before charging back in singles. The comeback attempt came up just short as the Panthers took four of six singles matches, including wins at number one, two, and three singles. For complete results to both of this weekend’s matches, visit http://www.middlebury.edu/athletics/sports/menstennis.

Despite this weekend’s results, coaches and players alike are extremely excited about the outlook for the rest of this season. After falling behind 3-0 to Bowdoin, each member of the Panther squad remained positive and showed great resolve in competing extremely well in singles. That type of resolve will no doubt serve the Panthers moving forward.

Their have also been a couple of scheduling changes for the Panthers. The match against MIT, originally scheduled for this Friday, has been moved to next Wednesday the 25^th at 3:45 pm. Middlebury versus Amhurst has also been changed from this Saturday to next Saturday the 28th at 11 am.

Williams/Bowdoin Weekend Preview

The Middlebury Men’s Tennis Team is busy preparing for a big weekend of NESCAC action featuring some of the top ranked teams in division three. The weekend kicks off Friday afternoon at 4 pm at the Williams College outdoor tennis courts. Following the matchup between Midd and Williams, the Panthers will return home Friday night before facing off against the Bowdoin Polar Bears Saturday afternoon at 2 pm.

Following Saturday's match with Bowdoin, the men's and women's team will be having a team banquet at American Flatbread, located in the Marble Works district of Middlebury. Price per person is $30 and includes salad, pizza, and refreshments. For questions regarding the banquet, please email Coach Bob Hansen at rwhansen@middlebury.edu.

Midd Knocks off Conn College and Stevens Tech

The Middlebury Men’s Tennis Team swept conference opponent Conn College 9-0 yesterday afternoon in New London, Connecticut. The victory moved the Panthers to 8-2 on the year, as they remained undefeated in conference play.

Battling a swirling wind, the Panthers swept all three doubles lines to get the match headed in the right direction. The number one team of Brantner Jones and Andrew Lebovitz overcame a 6-4 deficit en route to a 9-7 victory. Doubles play was highlighted by the play of senior David Farah and junior Spencer Lunghino. The pair showed no trouble taking care of business after being moved up to number two doubles earlier in the week. The two played an aggressive, efficient brand of doubles cruising to an 8-3 victory. Filling in for the injured Derrick Angle, sophomore Zach Bruchmiller teamed up with Alec Parower for an 8-4 win at three doubles to complete the sweep.

The Panthers kept things rolling once singles play got under way. With Brantner Jones being moved up to number one singles, Middlebury dominated the Camels of Conn College throughout the singles lineup. Visit the Middlebury Athletics website for complete details as well as a recap of today’s 7-2 win over Stevens Institute of Technology.

Spring Break Wrapup and Easter Weekend Preview

The Middlebury Men’s Tennis Team recently returned from California, where they enjoyed a very successful spring break trip. The Panthers finished the trip with a 4-2 record, including a win over the nationally ranked Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens.  The trip also included many practice/exhibition matches for the entire team and many of our second team members had outstanding records for the week.   Courtney Mountifield went undefeated for the week and Eric Vehovic, Will Oberrender, Chris Frost, Peter Heidrich, and Niko Riefkohl all had only one loss. 

The division three tennis world took notice of the solid Panther play over the spring break trip, with sophomore Brantner Jones being named Northeast regional player of the week due in large part to his three set win at number three singles that clinched a 5-4 victory over Pomona-Pitzer Colleges.

After dropping their first match of the trip to NAIA opponent Vanguard, Middlebury reeled off four straight wins against some tough NAIA opponents and the aforementioned Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens. The last match of the break was against the CMS Stags, who started the season ranked in the top five in all of division three. The Panthers found themselves trailing 2-1 after doubles play, with the lone victory coming at number three doubles. Senior David Farah and junior Spencer Lunghino got an early break against the Stags and never looked back, securing the win for the Panthers at three doubles.

In singles play, Brantner Jones continued his torrid run at three singles, knocking off Alex Johnson of CMS in dominating fashion.  Following Jones’s big win, senior Derrick Angle would go on to lose a tough three set match against Robbie Erani. The two players have battled against each other since early on in the junior ranks, and this match was yet another close one for the pair. Unfortunately, Angle’s loss would be a sign of things to come for the Panthers. Following a great win at number four singles by Spencer Lunghino, the Panthers trailed 4-3 and needed wins at both five and six singles to earn a team victory. Sophomores Teddy Fitzgibbons and Zach Bruchmiller came up on the short end of two closely contested three set matches, giving CMS a 6-3 win over Midd.  These losses were Zach and Teddy’s only losses of the week.

Despite falling short against CMS, the Panthers can take away several positives from the match. Leading 4-1 early on at number one doubles, sophomore duo Brantner Jones and Andrew Lebovitz looked poised to put another point on the board for Midd before seeing things slip away. Losing three matches in third sets also shows how close the Panthers are to one of the most talented teams in division three.  All in all it was an outstanding week where we enjoyed our training and matches, learned a great deal about our work going forward, and enjoyed our time together. 

Looking forward, the Middlebury Men travel to Connecticut this weekend to battle against Conn College Friday at 3:00 and then head off to Hoboken, New Jersey where they will take on Steven Instiute of Technology Saturday at 10:30am.  

Thanks again to all our fans and supporters for making this trip possible.  A special thank you to Laura Fitzgibbons for taking some wonderful pictures during the trip, some of which will be featured on the blog and possibly the Middlbury website as well. The coaching staff could not be happier with this team and we appreciate all your help in helping us reach our goal of being one of the top teams in the country!  

Panthers Nip #13 Sagehens

The Middlebury Men's Tennis Team pushed their current winning streak to four with a tightly contested victory over the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens.

The Panthers found themselves down 2-1 following doubles play. Sophomore duo Andrew Lebovitz and Brantner Jones put on an impressive display at number one doubles with an 8-3 victory helping the Panthers avoid a sweep.

Sophomore Teddy Fitzgibbons evened things up with a dominating 6-0, 6-2 win at five singles. Zach Bruchmiller kept things going with a 6-1, 7-5 win at six singles.  Pomona-Pitzer moved ahead 4-3 after picking up wins at one and two singles, leaving the match up to junior Spencer Lunghino and sophomore Brantner Jones.  Taking advantage of his huge serve and explosive forehand, Lunghino squared the match yet again with a three set victory at four singles, leaving the match to be decided by Brantner Jones. Jones dropped the first set before storming back, taking the second set 7-5 and then routing junior Max Sabel of Pitzer College 6-0 in the third set. The team credited the Lady Panthers with helping give the match the feel of a home one. During a post game meeting, freshman Peter Heidrich was quoted as saying, "The girls came up huge for us today. It definitely felt like a home match." Also coming up big for the Panthers were player-coaches David Farah and Will Oberrender.

The Panthers will be back in action tomorrow at 2 pm against CMS.

Spring Break Update

The Middlebury Men’s Tennis Team is set to face off against Pomona-Pitzer this afternoon in a matchup featuring two of the top thirteen teams in division three. Following today’s match with Pomona-Pitzer, the number seven ranked Panthers will face off against number eighteen CMS tomorrow at 2 pm pacific time.

A little less than a week into their spring break trip to California, the Panthers have enjoyed a successful run so far in California. Following a close loss to NAIA standout Vanguard, the Panthers have notched wins against Concordia 7-2, Biola 9-0, and Glendale Community College 8-1. Each member of the Panther squad has had a chance to compete successfully during the trip so far. Following two days of split squad matches, the Panthers competed against both UC Santa Cruz and Pomona-Pitzer in day of exhibition matches. A high level of play and an overall excellent team dynamic was on full display throughout the series of exhibition matches. Play was highlighted by freshmen Coutney Mountifield’s victory over Pomona Pitzer’s number six player, Uday Singh.

Following Tueday’s exhibition day against Cruz and Pomona-Pitzer, the team enjoyed a day off from competition Wednesday. While some members of the team chose to get in a little more tennis, several Panthers headed to Huntington Beach for an afternoon of relaxation. Once at the beach, some team members took part in a little beach football where the quick release and strong arm of sophomore Brantner Jones was on full display. After a great day at the beach and on the tennis courts, all of the Panthers met up for a terrific meal in Redlands that was graciously hosted by the family of junior Panther Will Oberrender. A special thank you to the Oberrender family.

As we head into the most critical part of our spring break schedule we would like to thank all those that made the trip possible with their generous support. The overall effect of this trip will have a profound impact on our journey this season. If our efforts to this point are any indication, we are headed in a very fun, productive and successful direction. 

Best wishes, Coaches Kent and Hansen

Spring Season Update

After defeating the visiting Tufts Jumbos yesterday 9-0, the Middlebury Men's tennis team hit the courts today for an intersquad match. With weather in the high 60's today and little wind to contest with, the Panthers relished in the opportunity to play outside for the first time in weeks. Several matches were highly contested including a pair of three set matches featuring Spencer Lunghino versus Zach Bruchmiller and Courtney Mountifield versus Andrew Lebovitz. Lunghino and Mountifield prevailed in third set super tiebreakers with some great tennis on display throughout both matches. A well deserved day off from training is in store for Midd tomorrow.

As spring break approaches, the coaching staff would like to thank everyone involved in the fundraising effort that has taken place so far. We are closing in on our goal for the trip, and you can keep updated with how close we are by visiting http://blogs.middlebury.edu/middgoal/2012/01/15/mens-tennis-spring-trip-2012/. Thank you again to all who have donated thus far and our sincere appreciation to anyone who can help us reach our goal as we move forward.

Panthers Sweep Triple Header

The Middlebury Men's Tennis teams started off their season in impressive fashion Saturday, sweeping a triple header. In the opening split squad doubleheader, Midd swept Hamilton 9-0, while also knocking off Brandeis 8-1.  The Panthers capped off the day with a 9-0 victory over NYU.  

After not dropping a doubles match all day, the Panthers moved to 3-0 on the young season with a matchup against conference foe Bates set for tomorrow afternoon at 2 pm. Visit http://www.middlebury.edu/athletics/sports/menstennis for more updates on the weekend's action.  

Season Nears Kickoff

The start of the 2011-2012 men's tennis spring season is set to begin this Saturday at 3 pm in the Nelson Center.  The Panthers will take on Hamilton and Brandeis in a set of split squad matches Saturday afternoon before facing NYU after the completion of the first two matches.  The Hamilton match is set for a 3 pm start in the Bubble, while the match against Brandeis should start around 4 pm at the Nelson Areana indoor courts.  The opening weekend concludes with a Sunday afternoon match against Bates at 2 pm.  Due to scheduling issues, the Bates match was moved back to 2 pm after originally being scheduled for 12 pm.

Coaches and players could not be more excited with only a few days left before the season officially kicks off.  The level of training leading up to the start of the regular season has been incredible.  Each member of the squad has shown a great deal of improvement since spring practices resumed.  Also, the coaching staff has been beyond thrilled with the leadership displayed so far this year.  This year's freshmen class has mad tremendous strides on and off the court since the start of the academic year, while returning members of the team have gone above and beyond in furthering their efforts to strengthen leadership roles on the team.

We would like to sincerely thank everyone for their support of the program and also say that we look forward to things getting officially rolling this Saturday afternoon.  Hope to see many of you this weekend and beyond as the season begins.

Go Midd!

Regular Season Draws Near

As January draws to an end, the men’s tennis team at Middlebury College moves closer and closer to the start of their regular season.  All indications from student directed training during J Term were extremely positive.

J Term is a unique tradition and aspect of student life at Middlebury.  Due to the academic schedule, plus NESCAC and NCAA regulations allowing no formal practices during J Term, getting in quality training can be a challenge for the Panthers during this time.  This year’s team met this challenge head on.   The success of the men’s team during this time period was due in large part to the incredible leadership and responsibility displayed by every member of the team.  Despite the fact that organized practices are not allowed during J Term, the momentum from the fall season was carried over throughout J Term.  In fact, many Panthers made great strides in their games during the month long session.  With the regular season practice schedule set to resume here in a couple of weeks on February 15^th, the coaching staff could not be more excited about the hard work and leadership shown by each and every Panther during J Term.

Another exciting aspect of the Middlebury Tennis experience is the spring break training trip to California.  This annual trip serves as both a great chance to challenge some of the best Division lll competition in the country while also building invaluable team camaraderie.  Earlier this month the team participated in phone-a-thon as part of a fundraising effort for this year’s spring break trip.  The event was definitely a success but left us short of our final budget needs for the upcoming trip to California.  We respectfully ask that any members of the Middlebury Tennis Family capable of doing so please consider supporting our spring break training trip. 

We would also like to send a very big thank you to all of the parents, alums, and supporters of Middlebury Tennis for everything you have done to support our journey and effort to become one of the best tennis programs in the country.  Without your support and enthusiasm, this journey would not be possible.  Please continue your support and spread the word to friends and families of the program by following our blog and staying updated with our results on the Middlebury College athletic website at http://www.middlebury.edu/athletics/.

Please forward any questions to head coach Bob Hansen at rwhansens@middlebury.edu and again, thank you for your continued support.

Go Midd!