WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- Three years ago, the Whitman College men's tennis team slipped past Pacific Lutheran to claim a Northwest Conference title.
Two years ago, it was Pacific Lutheran edging Linfield for the NWC title after the Wildcats had squeezed past Whitman in the semifinals.
Last spring, it was Linfield's turn to claim the crown, beating Pacific Lutheran by a 4-3 margin after the Lutes had eked out a victory over the Missionaries in the semifinals.
"Our team goal this season is no different than in the recent past," Whitman coach Jeff Northam says. "We want to challenge for the conference championship."
Whitman begins its spring season next Friday, Feb. 21, when it hosts Whitworth in a NWC match slated to begin at 4 p.m. in the Bratton Tennis Center.
Even though a NWC title remains the Missionary goal this spring, Northam admits that his squad may face "more of a challenge" than in recent years.
Gone from last year's squad are three graduated seniors who filled half the spots in both singles and doubles. The most notable loss was two-time NWC Player of the Year Tim Mullin, who left Whitman as the winningest player in the history of Missionary tennis. Mullin amassed 149 victories in singles and doubles play in three-plus seasons, going undefeated during the NWC regular season as both a junior and senior.
Also gone from last year's team are Owen Bargreen, who played most of the season at No. 3 singles, and Rick Smith, who filled the No. 5 spot.
"We lost a lot to graduation, but we also have some good players returning," Northam says. "You never know how a season is going to play out. The last time we won a conference championship, we had lost four of our top six players from the season before."
Whitman's top returning player is Trevor Gamble, a 6-foot-7 senior with an intimidating power game. Gamble (Aptos, Calif. / Menlo School-Atherton, Calif.) played primarily at No. 2 singles in each of the past two seasons.
"Trevor is healthy and hitting the ball as well as he ever has," Northam says. "This is his senior year, and I think he's ready to step it up and have a good season. He hitting the ball smarter than he has in the past, and he's defending the court a little better. He's doing a better job of playing within his capabilities."
Playing in one of the top two singles spots in the NWC is never easy, however, Northam cautions. "The top players in our conference are as good as you'll find anywhere in the nation.
Sam Spiegel (Vancouver, BC / St. John's-Ravenscourt, Winnipeg), a Whitman junior, will start the season at No. 2 singles. Spiegel played mostly at No. 4 last spring, when he divided his time between the tennis and debate teams.
After spending his freshman season at No. 6 singles, Brad Changstrom (Loveland, Colo. / Thompson Valley HS) will make the jump to No. 3 for his sophomore campaign. Changstrom showed plenty of promise in his first collegiate season, finishing with NWC records of 8-3 in both singles and doubles.
Graham Sumioka (Federal Way, Wash. / Decatur HS), a senior, will play No. 4 singles. Senior Evan Chiang (Mill Creek, Wash. / Jackson HS) and juniors Ye-San Lin (Bellevue, Wash. / Redmond HS) and Gaurav Garg (New Delhi, India / Air Force Bal Bharati School) are battling for time at No. 5 and No. 6. Others competing for court time are senior Tim Lenihan (Yakima, Wash. / Davis HS), playing his first collegiate season, and freshman Aaron Cho (Federal Way, Wash. / Pacific Christian School-Seattle).
In doubles, Gamble and Changstrom will play the No. 1 spot, while Spiegel and Sumioka start the season at No. 2. The third doubles spot, for now, is "wide open," Northam says.
Both Linfield and Pacific Lutheran return strong teams and rank as favorites for this spring's NWC title. If forced to predict, Northam gives a slight edge to Pacific Lutheran, led by seniors Gabriel Svad and Reid Wiggins.
After opening its season at home on Feb. 21, Whitman will play its next 10 matches on the road. Five of those matches will take place during a Spring Break trip to Hilton Head, South Carolina.
Beginning in early April, the Missionaries will play six of its final seven regular matches at home. The NWC Championships are set for April 18-19 in Yakima, Wash.