Bryan Heft

Casey Clagett

May 10, 2001 - The Tiger women's tennis team enjoyed its best season in more than a decade after placing third in the 2001 NCAC tournament. Individual accolades were sure to follow and did last week as sophomore Erin Beach (Dayton, Ohio/Vandalia Butler) and sophomore Shannon Oliphant (Columbus, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) earned All-NCAC honors. Beach, a second-team choice last year as a freshman, earned first-team honors in 2001 for her 17-8 record at No. 1 singles. Oliphant, also a second-team choice in her first collegiate season, was named honorable mention after finishing with a 17-7 record at No. 2 singles.

A week after the Tigers defeated the Lords in a non-league dual match, Wittenberg fell to Kenyon in the semis as the Tigers lost two of three three-set singles matches and a hotly contested doubles point in the loss to Kenyon. The lone winners were senior Bryan Heft (Gahanna, Ohio/Lincoln) at No. 1 singles and sophomore Eric Cusick (Lima, Ohio/Senior) at No. 3 singles.

Heft was named All-NCAC first-team after compiling a 22-4 overall record in 2001. It was his fourth consecutive all-conference selection. His career may not be over - as a nationally ranked player on a team that didn't qualify for postseason play, he now must wait to hear if he will get an individual bid to the NCAA Division III championships.

Also earning all-conference honors was sophomore Casey Clagett (Steamboat Springs, Colo./Steamboat Springs), who had a 14-9 record at No. 2 singles, and Cusick, who was 15-6 at No. 3 singles. Clagett was second team and Cusick was honorable mention. In addition, the No. 1 doubles team of Heft and Clagett made second team all-conference after putting together a 16-7 overall mark.

For the season, no player on either team finished with a losing singles record, and no doubles team that played more than five matches was below .500. Both teams expect to lose just two starters for the 2001-02 school year.

Next: Women: Season Complete

Men: Season Complete

May 2, 2001 - The Tiger women's tennis team finished its best season in more than a decade by placing third in the NCAC tournament at Denison last weekend. Kenyon won its seventh straight and 15th overall NCAC championship, but the young Tigers, who expect to lose just two players off this year's team, were a big story at the event.

Wittenberg, which was seeded fifth in the tournament, scored a 5-2 win over No. 4 Allegheny in the first round, guaranteeing the Tigers of no worse than a fourth-place finish. In the semifinals, Wittenberg was defeated 5-1 by No. 1 Kenyon before recovering for a 5-0 win over No. 3 Oberlin in the third-place match. The No. 3 finish was the team's best since 1990, when the Tigers also finished third.

The Tigers had two players listed with the second-best records in their flights for the season. Junior Melanie Wight (Hombrechtilon, Switzerland/Gymnasium Weitzikon) was 13-9 (including 6-1 in the NCAC) at No. 3 singles, while freshman Deana Nowakowski (Uniontown, Ohio/Lake) was 12-9 and 4-2 at No. 5 singles. Overall in singles action this year, Wittenberg had just one player without a winning record, and that was an 8-8 mark.

Wittenberg's No. 2 doubles team of sophomore Shannon Oliphant (Columbus, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) and senior Sara Deskin (Youngstown, Ohio/Ursuline) was second in the NCAC with an 11-7 overall record and 5-1 in conference action. Deskin, the Tigers only senior, was also third in No. 4 singles at 14-9 and 6-2.

Wittenberg's men's team has earned the No. 2 seed in the West Division for the NCAC Tournament, which will be held Friday and Saturday at Oberlin.

The Tigers had a seven-match winning streak snapped with a 5-2 loss to defending NCAC champion Denison on April 18. The loss dropped Wittenberg into second place, one game behind Denison, in the NCAC West division. But Wittenberg rallied for a huge victory in their only outing last week as the Tigers conquered visiting Kenyon on April 24 at the Albright Tennis Center. In that match, the Tigers won a dramatic doubles point as the No. 1 team of senior Bryan Heft (Gahanna, Ohio/Lincoln) and sophomore Casey Clagett (Steamboat Springs, Colo./Steamboat Springs) rallied in a tiebreaker. Then the Tigers took four of the six singles matches in the non-league match.

Wittenberg has three singles players with the best records in their respective flights. They include Heft at No. 1 singles with a 19-4 overall record, sophomore Eric Cusick (Lima, Ohio/Senior) with a 15-5 record at No. 3 and sophomore Ben Hodgkiss-Lilly (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights) at 13-4 at No. 6 singles.

Freshman Duby Lakos (Lynchburg, Va./Heritage) is second in No. 4 singles at 12-5. All of the team's singles players have winning records.

April 24, 2001 - The Tiger men's team had a seven-match winning streak snapped with a 5-2 loss to defending NCAC champion Denison on April 18 at the Albright Tennis Center. The loss dropped Wittenberg into second place, one game behind Denison, in the NCAC West division, a position the Tigers solidified on Saturday with a win over conference rival Wabash. The team will finish its regular season with a match today against Kenyon.

Wittenberg has three singles players with the best records in their respective flights. They include senior Bryan Heft (Gahanna, Ohio/Lincoln) at No. 1 with a 18-4 overall record, freshman Duby Lakos (Lynchburg, Va./Heritage) at 12-4 at No. 4 and sophomore Ben Hodgkiss-Lilly (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights) at 12-4 at No. 6 singles. Every regular singles player and doubles team has a winning record for the Tigers in 2000-01.

The women's team won two out of three matches on the week and plays defending conference titlist Kenyon on Tuesday before playing in the NCAC tournament at Denison over the weekend. Junior Melanie Wight (Hombrechtilon, Switzerland/Gymnasium Weitzikon) who had the Tigers' only win in an 8-1 loss to Denison on April 18, has an 11-8 record, which is second best in the NCAC at No. 3 singles. As with the men, Wittenberg's women's tennis team has winning records at all six singles positions and all three doubles spots.

April 18, 2001 - The Tiger men's team won four matches last week, all by 7-0 scores, including its first two in NCAC West division play. Wittenberg has three singles players with the best records in their respective flights. They include senior Bryan Heft (Gahanna, Ohio/Lincoln) at No. 1 with a 15-3 overall record, freshman Duby Lakos (Lynchburg, Va./Heritage) at 11-3 at No. 4 and sophomore Ben Hodgkiss-Lilly (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights) at 11-2 at No. 6 singles. Sophomore Michael Herzog (Springfield, Ohio/Northwestern) has an 11-2 record at No. 5 singles, while sophomore Casey Clagett (Steamboat Springs, Colo./Steamboat Springs) and sophomore Eric Cusick (Lima, Ohio/Senior) also have put together winning singles records.

Wittenberg is second in the NCAC West, one-half game behind first place Denison (3-0). The Tigers and Big Red square off at Wittenberg's Albright Tennis Center on Wednesday.

Wittenberg's women are in fourth place in the NCAC with a 3-1 record, but are just one game behind first place Allegheny (4-0). The best individual record is 14-5 by sophomore Shannon Oliphant (Columbus, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) at No. 2 singles. The Tigers have two No. 2 flight rankings in the NCAC, freshmen Deana Nowakowski (Uniontown, Ohio/Lake) is 9-7 at No. 5 singles while Oliphant and senior Sara Deskin (Youngstown, Ohio/Ursuline) are 8-3 at No. 2 doubles. All six singles players and all three regular doubles combinations have winning records.

April 12, 2001 - Wittenberg's men's tennis team improved its record to 7-3 with wins over Hiram and Allegheny last week and are scheduled to face Ohio Wesleyan and Earlham this week in matches that will count in the NCAC's west division standings.

Two Tiger players have the conference's best records at their flights. Senior Bryan Heft (Gahanna, Ohio/Lincoln) is 10-2 at No. 1 singles, while sophomore Ben Hodgkiss-Lilly (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights) is 5-1 at No. 6 singles.

Wittenberg's women's team is fourth in the NCAC at 3-1, just one-half game out of first place, and have been doing it with balance and depth. The Tigers' No. 3 doubles team of freshmen Deana Nowakowski (Uniontown, Ohio/Lake) and Molly Zigovits (Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian) has a 5-5 record, which ranks third in the NCAC at that flight.

April 3, 2001 - Wittenberg's men's and women's tennis teams opened NCAC action with wins at Wooster March 31. The men won 6-1 by sweeping the six singles courts and the women by an 8-1 score thanks to a similar singles sweep. 

The men's team is led by No. 1 singles player Bryan Heft (Gahanna, Ohio/Lincoln), a senior with a 9-2 record. He is the team's lone returning All-NCAC performer. 
 

Then on Monday, the women's got back at it and captured a 7-2 victory over Ohio Wesleyan at the Albright Tennis Complex. Four Wittenberg players were double-winners on the day, claiming victories in both singles and doubles. 

The women's team has gotten impressive performances from a pair of sophomores. Erin Beach (Dayton, Ohio/Vandalia-Butler) is 10-6 at No. 1 singles. Shannon Oliphant (Columbus, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) is 10-5 at No. 2. 

Including last fall's matches, No. 1 women's singles player Erin Beach (Dayton, Ohio/Vandalia-Butler) has compiled a 9-5 overall record, while No. 2 singles player Shannon Oliphant (Columbus, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) has put together an 8-5 mark. As a team, the Tigers' are 3-2 against Division III competition and 2-3 against everyone else, including Division I rivals Wright State and Dayton.

Wittenberg's men's team is off to a 4-2 start, led by No. 1 singles player Bryan Heft (Gahanna, Ohio/Lincoln), who has an 8-2 mark. Casey Clagett (Steamboat Springs, Colo./Steamboat Springs) has compiled a 6-3 mark at No. 2 singles. Heft and Clagett have a 6-2 record at No. 1 doubles.

The Tigers lone victory came at No. 2 doubles as sophomore Shannon Oliphant (Columbus, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) and senior Sara Deskin (Youngstown, Ohio/Ursuline) were victorious. 

Including last fall's matches, No. 1 singles player Erin Beach (Dayton, Ohio/Vandalia-Butler) has compiled a 9-5 overall record while Oliphant has put together an 8-5 mark at No. 2 singles. As a team, the Tigers' record is a bit misleading as they have put together a 3-2 mark against Division III competition and a record of 2-3 against everyone else, including Division I rivals Wright State and Dayton. 

Wittenberg's men's team is off to a 4-2 start, led by No. 1 singles player Bryan Heft (Gahanna,
Ohio/Lincoln), who has an 8-2 mark. Casey Clagett (Steamboat Springs, Colo./Steamboat Springs) has compiled a 6-3 mark at No. 2 singles. Heft and Clagett have a 6-2 record at No. 1 doubles. 

The women's team went 3-2 during its recent Spring Break trip to Grenelefe, Fla., posting wins over St. Francis (8-1), Findlay (8-1) and John Carroll (8-1) and losing to Michigan Tech (5-4) and Wheaton (7-2).

Including last fall's matches, No. 1 singles player Erin Beach (Dayton, Ohio/Vandalia-Butler) has compiled a 9-4 overall record while Shannon Oliphant (Columbus, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) has put together an 8-4 mark at No. 2 singles. 

On the men's side, the Tigers won three of four matches during the recent Spring Break trip. Wittenberg defeated St. Francis (8-1), Findlay (9-0) and Wheaton (6-1) and lost to Aquinas (5-4). 

Wittenberg has some fine records among its men, as well. Including last fall's matches, No. 1 singles player Bryan Heft (Gahanna, Ohio/Lincoln) leads the way with an 8-2 mark. Casey Claggett (Steamboat Springs, Colo./Steamboat Springs) has compiled a 6-3 mark at No. 2 singles. Heft and Claggett have a 6-2 record at No. 1 doubles.