Tennis teams compete in NCAA tournaments
Skidmore’s men's tennis team advanced to the NCAA regional final where its season ended as the Thoroughbreds lost to host Williams College 5-0 Saturday, May 11, in Williamstown, Mass.
Skidmore reached the tournament's third round for just the second time in the program's history after defeating UMass Boston 5-2 May 9 and nationally ranked MIT 5-3 in the second round.
Against UMass, Jimmy Sherpa '14 (West Vancouver, B.C.), Danny Knight '14 (Ponte Vedra, Fla.), Miles Ranson '15 (Delray Beach, Fla.), and Gabe Steerman '14 (Philadelphia, Pa.) all won their respective singles matches to position the Thoroughbreds for the win. Steerman and Ransom propelled the unranked Thoroughbreds into the tournament's second round with an 8-0 win at number-three doubles.
On Friday, May 10, Skidmore bested 28th-ranked MIT 5-3 as Ransom, Knight, and Steerman each won in singles competition. Sherpa paired with Jonah Epstein '16 (East Amherst, N.Y.) for a win at number-one doubles while Ransom and Steerman combined for an 8-2 win at number three doubles to clinch the win.
Skidmore closed out the season with 13-9 overall record.
The 20th-ranked women's tennis team overcame an early deficit in its match against the College of New Jersey Saturday in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Tournament before persevering to a 5-2 win and a second-round contest Sunday against top-ranked Amherst.
The Thoroughbreds swept the first four singles matches with Nataly Mendoza '13 (San Francisco, Calif.), Lee Ford '14 (Newton, Mass.), Melissa Hirsch '14 (Alamo, Calif.), and Alex Smith '15 (Beverly Hills, Calif.) all picking up critical wins. Skidmore booked its appointment with Amherst after Smith and partner Rachel Plevinsky '14 (Lexington, Mass.) won their number-two doubles match 8-2.
Amherst proved to be a strong opponent as it ended the Thoroughbreds’ bid for a team title with a 5-0 win. Mendoza's season will continue however, as the senior has earned the right to play in singles competition May 23-25 in Kalamazoo, Mich. ~ By Sean Farnsworth
