WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- Jeff Northam, the men's tennis coach at Whitman College, doesn't downplay the graduation losses that have left his roster riddled with holes.
Those losses include Akshay Shetty and Haroon Ullah, a doubles team that was nearly unbeatable against Northwest Conference (NWC) competition over the previous four years. Shetty and Ullah, who also excelled separately in singles, finished their collegiate career with a 30-6 doubles record against conference foes. The twosome won all 10 of its doubles matches last season in the NWC, leading Whitman to a 10-1 dual match record and a share of the regular season title.
Despite the graduation of Shetty and Ullah, along with Bryan Oliver, Curtis Haynie, Clifford Mah and Ryan Cooper, Northam isn't throwing in the towel as his revamped line-up takes the court for the 2000 spring season. "I'm sure the expectation, at least at some schools, is that Whitman will not be as strong this year," Northam said. "What they see is that we graduated several very good seniors, basically our whole team.
"I still think we're going to finish somewhere in the top four this season. I see a close competition between four or five teams. How well we do depends on how much our younger players improve. So far, this team has worked extremely hard, harder than any team I've had."
Two reasons for Northam's optimism are sophomore Tim Mullin, a big talent who missed most of last season with an ankle injury, and senior Geoff Mayes, a huge talent who has returned to competitive tennis after sitting out two years.
Mullin, who was challenging for the No. 1 singles spot early last year, hurt an ankle the week before Whitman's first match. He returned late in the season, winning five of six matches in No. 1 and No. 2 singles. He also won five of six doubles matches.
Mullin (Salem OR, Sprague HS) plays a strong all-around game, and after dropping about 15 pounds from his 6-foot-1 frame, he is quicker on his feet this season, Northam said.
Mayes (Mill Creek WA, Cascade HS/Leavenworth WA), a big hitter at 6-foot-4, played a handful of matches as a freshman but then opted not to play as a sophomore and junior. "Geoff had played at a high level for a long time and he said he simply got tired of playing," Northam said. "He's back now and I think he's having a good time. He's still struggling with his game a little bit, but that is to be expected after his layoff. He gets a little frustrated because he thinks he should be playing better than is. I really think that when Geoff is playing well and at the top of this game, he can beat anyone in NCAA Division III."
After holding their own against some top-flight competition in a trio of tournaments last fall, Mayes and Mullin earned spots in the West Region Division III rankings. Mayes was ranked No. 12 and Mullin No. 16.
Whitman kicked off its spring season Jan. 29 with an early match against Gonzaga, playing the NCAA Div. I school surprisingly tough before losing 7-0. Whitman continues its ambitious non-conference slate this Sunday, Feb. 13, when it plays at Lewis- Clark State College, an NAIA Div. I school.
Mullin played No. 1 singles and Mayes No. 2 singles in the Gonzaga match. Both lost in straight sets, although both pushed their opponents to opening-set tie-breakers. Northam said he might well flip-flop Mullin and Mayes in the top singles spots as the season unfolds.
Senior Eric Bartee (Corvallis OR, Crescent Valley HS) gives the Missionaries another very talented player in No. 3 singles. Bartee played much of last season in the No. 2 slot, allowing Ullah to rest and keep a sore knee ready for doubles. Bartee won seven of eight conference matches in No. 2 singles, and he compiled a 9-2 conference record in doubles, mostly in the No. 3 spot. "Eric was voted our Most Improved Player award last year, and he's continued to get stronger since then," Northam said. "Eric has worked very, very hard." In January's Gonzaga match, Bartee forced his opponent to three sets before losing.
With Mullin, Mayes and Bartee at the top of the singles line-up, most NWC schools will have trouble matching up, Northam said. "With the exception of Pacific Lutheran, I don't think any other conference school will have the same one-two-three punch that we have."
After a strong fall season, sophomore Nick Dupuis (Richland WA, Richland HS) has moved into the No. 4 singles spot. "Because of the seniors we had last year, Nick didn't play in many matches, but when he did play, he played very well," Northam said. Dupuis wiggled his way into five conference matches last spring, most of them at No. 6 singles, and won all five. He also played in three conference doubles matches, tasting victory twice.
Owen Bargreen (Everett WA, Everett HS), another sophomore, has jumped into the No. 5 singles spot, even though he saw relatively playing time last year as a freshman. He also had a good opening match against Gonzaga, eventually falling in three sets. "I don't think anyone has improved more than Owen over the past year," Northam said. "His attitude is much better and he really seems to be enjoying playing tennis this year."
Rick Smith (Bellevue WA, Bellevue HS), also a sophomore, gets the early season nod at No. 6 singles. Last season, Smith posted a 6-0 conference record at No. 5 and No. 6 singles. He won two more singles matches in the conference championship tournament. "Rick is a very solid No. 6 player," Northam said. "He's the type of player you don't want to face when he's playing well, no matter how good you might be."
Northam expects to get others into his singles line-up during the season. Those players include senior Chris Rozelle (Yakima WA, Davis HS), sophomore Richard Koelsch (Mountain Home ID, Mountain Home HS) and two freshmen, Evan Chiang (Mill Creek WA, Jackson HS) and Graham Sumioka (Federal Way WA, Decatur HS).
Northam has no worries about his top two doubles teams. Mullin and Bartee will play together, as will Mayes and Dupuis, giving Whitman two very strong duos. Players most likely to play No. 3 doubles are Smith, Bargreen and the two freshmen, Chiang and Sumioka.
As a team, Whitman begins the spring season with a No. 7 ranking in the West Region. At season's end, only the top six schools will advance to a pair of regional tournaments, which in turn will eventually funnel two teams to the the national finals.
The Missionaries will have a number of opportunities to move up the regional rankings ladder as the season unfolds. They play No. 6 Pacific Lutheran twice during the conference season, and they have three of the top four teams scheduled during a Spring Break trip to California.
CONTACT:
Dave Holden, Whitman Sports Information, 509 527-5902
Email: holden@whitman.edu