Shoremen Tennis Team Plays for National Status, Sets High Goals

By Katie Weida
Elm Staff Writer

The Shoremen tennis team upped its record to 10-3 overall and 4-2 in the Centennial Conference after defeating both Muhlenberg College and York (PA) this past Saturday.

Washington College opened by sweeping Muhlenberg 9-0 in the Centennial Conference match. In doubles, senior Timothy Parks and sophomore John Menzione won 8-6 at number one, Sophomore Kevin Papen and sophomore Aaron Ellison won 8-3 at number two, and junior Adam Cranford and freshman partner Josh Hedrick won 8-0 at number three. The Shoremen continued to win in singles and clinched the match after Cranford and Ellison defeated their opponents.

Against non-centennial York, the Shoremen opened with a 2-1 lead. Ellison and Papen dominated with a 8-1 win at number two doubles and Cranford and Hedrick posted an 8-2 win at number three. In singles, Cranford and Papen both beat their opponents 6-1, 6-0. Ellison swept his opponent 6-0, 6-0 to secure the match win. Freshman Andy Pearson defeated his opponent at number five with a score of 8-3 and sophomore Cowles Gaither recorded a win at number six. The final score was 7-2.

This weekend, the Shoremen will travel to Baltimore to take on rival Johns Hopkins University in the Centennial Conference match at 3 p.m.

Cranford, who was named the Centennial Conference Player of the Week for men’s tennis after going 3-0 at number one singles and 2-1 in doubles, said that the upcoming match is “our chance to get back up to national status. Hopkins is ranked 8th in the nation. All we can do is play our hardest and really focus on the things that make us successful. The rest will hopefully fall into place.”

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