It’s not the easiest thing in the world to fill the shoes of arguably the greatest collegiate tennis coach of all time, but Tommy Valentini seems to be doing just fine at it so far. Coaching legend Steve Wilkinson ended a 39-year tenure as head coach of the Men’s Tennis squad at the conclusion of the 2008-09 school year, and Valentini stepped in without missing a beat. His Gusties just capped off their second straight 9-0 finish in MIAC schedule this season and have not lost to a conference foe in the regular season under Valentini’s watch.

With Valentini at the helm for his second season, the team improved from an overall record of 15-10 last season to a 17-6 mark this year. After a bitter 7-2 loss to Carleton in last year’s MIAC Playoff Championship, Valentini’s squad exacted revenge on their biggest conference rivals with an 8-1 victory last weekend that was much closer than the score may indicate. With that win, the Gusties have now won four MIAC Playoff Championships—a feat made more impressive by the fact that only five have ever been played.

The former player turned head coach provides his players with a unique coaching perspective, having only wrapped up his award-laden Gustavus tennis playing career in 2002. His leadership has helped Gustavus wrap up the season ranked eighth regionally and secure a spot in the NCAA Regional Tournament, which will be held on campus at the Brown Tennis Courts starting today. The Gusties open the tournament today against Concordia (Wisc.).

Honorable Mention
Mark Hanson-Men’s Basketball