After a string of wins unlike any seen in several years, the men’s tennis team’s undefeated streak ended, but they posted impressive numbers before the Liberty League Championships. Three home matches led to a 2-1 record on the week, improving RPI’s record to 9-1.
On Wednesday, the Red Hawks faced Hartwick College on the Sharp Courts. Rensselaer pulled out a 4-3 victory, taking the lower half of the singles competitions and all three doubles matches. Senior Mike Heligman drew the longest match of the three losing RPI singles players, ceding to Hartwick’s Vladimir Vecher in a third set tiebreak 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (5). Juniors Joe Byrne and Joe Black, as well as senior Amadeus Lopez, all played to straight set victories in singles play.
Friday brought some of the nicest weather of the season thus far, but it also brought the biggest storm of the season in the form of the St. Lawrence Saints (3-7). The Saints have been considered by the Red Hawks to be one of the most formidable teams in the league, and they made their presence known by ending the Red Hawks’ winning streak. Black and Lopez again posted wins in impressive fashion at fifth and sixth singles respectively (6-4, 6-2 and 6-3, 6-2), emphasizing RPI’s depth, but the rest of the team could not follow suit. The Saints took two of three doubles, as well as all of the top four singles, to win their outing at Rensselaer 5-2.
If they were looking to unleash any fury as a result of their Friday loss, the team got the perfect opportunity in the form of a home match against Clarkson on Saturday. RPI swept both the doubles and singles contests without dropping a set. The closest matches were both in doubles, with Heligman and Black posting an 8-6 victory at first doubles, and senior Tim A. Fill and freshman Aashish Kabra reaching the same result at third.
The team capped off the week with a match against Skidmore, one of the stronger teams in the Liberty League this year, in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., on Tuesday afternoon. Results were unavailable at press time.
Eizenman shines for Israel
Rensselaer forward Oren Eizenman scored 10 goals—three of which were game winners—and tallied 14 points overall en route to being named the Most Outstanding Player in the men’s ice hockey third tier level International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship (IIHF) in Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro. The junior led Israel, “a nation with one rink,” according to the IIHF, to a shocking first-place finish with a 4-2 win over Iceland. The victory successfully moved the tiny middle-eastern country up from the Division II level to Division I in IIHF play.
Ski Teams Conclude Seasons
The Mid-East Regional in Waterville Valley, N.H., on February 26 and 27 marked the end of the Rensselaer alpine ski team’s season. The men’s club, composed of Brian Morgan, Ryan Koppes, John Williams, Brad Ferrada, and Tim Gedney, finished in a respectable sixth place while the outnumbered women’s squad of Casey Edgeton, Abby Eldridge, and Liz Ganz finished 13th overall.
The men’s alpine club will only be losing one senior in Gedney and has a wealth of young talent in freshmen Morgan, Ferrada, and Williams and sophomore Koppes. The women’s team will return all three competitors next season and will look to increase its numbers with the incoming freshmen class.
The Rensselaer cross-country ski team fared somewhat better than the alpine club, with three men qualifying for the national competition in McCall, Idaho. Freshmen Jim Lewis and Dan King, along with junior Kevin Whitman, became the first RPI ski team members to ever reach nationals and collected several top 20 finishes at the competition, including a sixth place finish in the team relay.
Cycling Riding High
Aaron Fitts finished 48 out of 78 in the “B” category of the Boston Beanpot Classic on April 9 and 10 and followed up that performance with a 29th place showing in the “B” division of the Army Classic on April 16.
Silas Laudon shared in Fitts’ success as he took 29th place out of 91 riders in the “D” bracket at the Beanpot race and Robert Thomas was 15th out of 42 cyclists in the Tufts Criterium also on April 10. Thomas and MJ Torres took 25th and 35th, respectively, out of a 70-man field in category “D” of the Army Classic.
Special Olympics visit RPI
In an open act of kindness, the Rensselaer men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams opened up their home, Robison Pool, yesterday, April 19, to host a swim meet for the Special Olympics. Members of both RPI squads and their coaches were in attendance to the free event to cheer on the participants.
