Washington College Men's Tennis Season Preview

CHESTERTOWN, MD -- The Washington College men's tennis team finished the 2010 season with a 12-6 record, marking the 24th time in the past 26 years the team has finished with more than 10 victories. The Shoremen reached the Centennial Conference semifinals last year and return their top players from a year ago.

Senior Adam Cranford (Bel Air, MD/John Carroll) earned All-Centennial Conference first-team honors in singles for the third consecutive year in 2010. With a career record at No. 1 singles of 34-11, Cranford has established himself as one of the top players in the conference.  Junior Kevin Papen (Dover, DE/Caesar Rodney) is coming off an impressive first season with the Shoremen after transferring from Division I Delaware. Papen went 9-7 at No. 2 singles, earning All-Centennial Conference second-team honors. Cranford and Papen teamed to earn first-team All-Centennial honors in doubles, going 9-5 as a tandem, primarily at No. 1. 

Junior Aaron Ellison (Largo, FL/St. Petersburg) was named the Shoremen's Co-Most Improved Player (with Cranford) a year ago after earning the same award as a freshman. Ellison won a team-best 17 singles matches in 2009-10, including an 11-3 mark at No. 3. Ellison was 10-7 in dual-match doubles play, teaming with Papen and junior John Menzione (Chadds Ford, PA/Kennett). Junior Kyle Lisco (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North) played the majority of his matches at No. 4 singles last season, while Menzione was named the team's Most Valuable Player after piling up a 12-1 record in dual matches, including a 9-1 mark at No. 6. 

Sophomore Graham Kaltman (Harleysville, PA/Germantown Academy), sophomore Andrew Pearson (Flourtown, PA/Springfield Township), sophomore Jack Taylor (Baltimore, MD/Calvert Hall), and senior Kristian Wilson (Germatown, PA/home school) are the Shoremen's other returning players and will all be competing for more playing time this season. 

Freshmen Marc Cywinski (Brisbane, Australia/Pendleton [FL]), Willie Dashiell (Norfolk, VA/Norfolk Collegiate), and Hunter Scott (Fredericksburg, VA/Stafford) each gained valuable experience playing at the Mount St. Mary's Invitational in the fall. Classmates Nicolas Campisi (Santa Rosa, Argentina/Highland [UT]) and Joel Novick (Cape May Court House, NJ/Middle Township) joined the Shoremen for spring practice as mid-year transfers.

This is the Shoremen's fourth year under head coach Dave Marshall, who has compiled a 37-17 record through three seasons. Washington will open the spring ranked 12th in the Atlantic South region and will play eight opponents who are also currently regionally-ranked. Johns Hopkins (fourth in the region, 13th in Division III), Swarthmore (10th in the region), Franklin & Marshall (13th), and Haverford (15th) join the Shoremen as regionally-ranked Centennial Conference teams. The non-conference schedule includes road matches at Mary Washington (fifth in the region, 22nd in Division III), Christopher Newport (eighth in the region), College of New Jersey (10th in the Northeast region), and Division I Loyola, and a home match against Hampden-Sydney (ninth in the region). The Shoremen's first match this spring is slated for March 13th at Averett University in Danville, VA.