By Gustavus Men’s Tennis standards, the team is satisfied with their standings at mid-season. They are regionally ranked No. 4 and nationally ranked No. 17 in the most recent Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division III Men’s National Rankings.
“A focus I have had this this season is on my body; I have individually been working hard on becoming faster and better since the summer.”—Andres Saenz
The team maintained points of 9-0 against the following schools: Hamline University, St. Olaf College, Grinnell College, Bethel University, and University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. Their official standings at the moment are 8-5.
Last weekend, Sophomore David Hagberg contributied in defeating Hamline, winning his singles game 6-2, 6-0.
“The tennis season has been very successful; we have had great matches with highly ranked teams that are top 10 in the nation. Every week our coach tells us that we have to be a better team than the week before. Whether the next match is expected to be easy or more challenging, we have to treat each match on the same level of seriousness,” says Hagberg.
Whether Gustavus students will go back home or stay on Campus for Spring Break, the tennis team will travel to Claremont, California. The three schools they will play are nationally ranked No. 2, No. 9, and No. 14.
“We’re going to California to play, and these schools are really good. It’ll be a great chance for everyone to show off their skills, but have fun as well,” Hagberg said.
Junior Andres Saenz is participating in singles and doubles. He was named MIAC Men’s Tennis Athlete of the Week back in February. Saenz has been successful in his singles matches pairing with Senior Motasem Alhouni.
“A focus I have had this season is on my body; I have individually been working hard on becoming faster and better since the summer,” Saenz said.
You can see his performance has improved through his wins against top 10 nationally ranked teams such as Trinity and Carnegie Mellon.
“The coach has given me a lot of confidence and the team as well. We have a really young team this season, but that doesn’t matter because it’s been a good season so far and we’re hoping to finish it even stronger. We’re not just a team, we’re like a family. Everyone helps each other out,” Saenz said.
Last year, the Gustavus Men’s tennis team graduated 10 seniors leaving many shoes to be filled.
“We’re off to a great start. I’m pleased with how our new guys are coming along…we have upperclassmen who are filling in leadership roles, I’m pleased with how they are handling their responsibilities,” Coach Tommy Valentini said.
Men’s Tennis will host the College of St. Scholastica and Coe College before traveling to Fargo, N.D. to face Concordia March 21. Make sure to support your fellow Gusties before spring break hits.
-Jessica Yang