JUNIOR CLASS

Tyler Gadbois: Piedmont, CA
Tyler is one of the hardest workers we have on our team. Tyler is a very good athlete that continues to improve with each season. Tyler is also a very good competitor and has the ability to beat some very good players. Tyler is a great role model for his teammates and I look forward to seeing him compete in the spring.

Eric Halpern: Rye Brooke, NY
Eric was one of the key figures during our 2012 magical season. One of Eric's greatest assets is love for competition. I really think this seperates him from a lot players because he seems to enjoy pressure, this is a rare trait, and what makes him one of the best players in the country. Eric also loves to play and  I cannot wait for him to compete in the spring. Mono derailed a potential great season last year. Eric will be healthy this year and I fully expect him surpass what he did last year.

Alex Ruderman:Basking Ridge, NJ
Alex was anther key figure during the NCAA 2012 season. Alex had a huge win in the finals to help get us over the top. Alex has been of the best players on our team the 3 years. I have a great deal of respect for Alex's work ethic and he is becoming one of the future leaders of our team. Alex will be very important for us in the spring.

Ian Wagner: Columbus, OH
Ian was another key figure during the 2012 NCAA season. Ian's huge win in the semi-finals propelled us into the finals. Ian and Elliot Kahler became the first doubles team in Emory history to win an NCAA doubles championship. This is an amazing honor considering how many great players have come through our program. Ian has been the rock in our lineup the past 3 seasons and seems to save his best tennis for the biggest matches. Ian is also becoming a very good leader for our team.

SOPHOMORE CLASS

Will Adams: Indianopolis, IN
Will proved to be one of best competitors on our team last season. One of Will's highlights last season was at our conference championship match. Will, got down a set against a good player, fought back and won the second set. Will jumped all over his opponent in the 3rd set which helped the entire team. The energy he played with ignited Elliot and Rafe and his win was a big boost for the entire team. Unfortunately, Will's fall was cut short by a severe ankle injury. Will's a tough young man and will be ready for our spring season.

Eric Brinzenskiy: Staten Island, NY
Eric is a very talented player. Unfortunately, Eric did not get a chance last season in the lineup, but this did not deter Eric this past fall. Eric's fall practice was one of the highlights for me. He proved over the course of practice that he has the ability to compete for a spot in the lineup. I was very much looking forward to watching Eric compete at the ITA's. Eric got off to a slow start in his 2nd round match losing the 1st set and being down 2 breaks in the 2nd. Eric battled back and found himself up 3-0 in the 3rd set. Eric was forced to retire because of cramps, I know he was disappointed, but he had a great fall which should give him momentum going into the spring.

Lucas Lund: Sao Paolo, Brazil
Lucas was another bright spot in the fall. Lucas came back to school prepared and ready to play. Lucas did not see the lineup last season, but has continued to work hard and has shown great improvement over the year. Last year at the fall ITA regional, Lucas lost in the first round. This past fall, Lucas made it to the round of 16 losing to the number 1 seed. I am so proud of his development and I am confident that he can be a very good player for us if he keeps working hard. 

Rafe Mosetick: Hinsdale, IL
Rafe played at the number 4 spot last season. Rafe is an incredibly talented player, but what makes him special is how hard he works on his game. He is that player that will hit a basket of serves during his free time. Rafe's work ethic over the summer and the fall has catapulted him to be one of the best players in Division III. Rafe had an absolutely amazing ITA fall tournament beating the number 1 player in the country in straight sets. Rafe, ended up losing to Eric Halpern in the finals, which I know greatly disappointed him, but, he has proven to the entire country that he will be a force to reckon with in the spring.

THE FRESHMAN CLASS

Zachary Bayer: Westport, CT
Zachary is a solid player, unfortunately, he came down with mono, so he was pretty much side-lined for the entire fall.  Hopefully, Zach will get stronger and healthier over the break. I look forward to seeing him in the spring at full throttle.

Josh Goodman: Weston, Florida
Josh had an amazing junior career. Josh at one point was ranked among the top 30 players in the country. Unfortunately, Josh, missed a big portion of tennis during his junior year because of injuries. Josh, had a strong senior year beating some highly ranked players. Josh is a very talented player and we look forward to seeing him compete in the spring.

Rocco English: Winter Park, Florida
Rocco was not a highly ranked junior mostly because it was difficult for him to play tournaments being from a family of 6. Rocco, has been one the biggest surprises of the fall. Rocco has a great deal of potential. Rocco possesses a big serve and a strong all-court game. Rocco had a great ITA tournament and I truly believe that he has the ability to take his game to the next level.

Andrew Lo: Saratoga, CA
Andrew had a very impressive junior career. Andrew is one of those players that is fun to watch hit. Andrew is a shot maker and has the ability to be a very good Division 3 player. Off the ground, Andrew, has the ability to control points with his forehand. Andrew has been working on his net game to be able to finish points at the net. It will be fun to watch Andrew in the spring.

Aman Manji: Sammamish, WA
Aman is arguably one of the best athletes on the team. Aman has a very strong all-court game to go along with his great work ethic. Aman had a great ITA fall tournament and proved that he can help us in both singles and doubles. I have really enjoyed working with Aman in the fall and I look forward to see him competing for a spot in the spring.

JED WEINSTEIN INTERVIEW: by senior captain, Jackson Isaacs

I had the pleasure of watching Jed play for Emory when I was coaching at Salisbury University. Jed, was a tenacious competitor and one of the best players that has ever played for Emory tennis. Jed, was also an amazing soccer player and one of the few two-sport athletes at Emory. Jed's accomplishments in tennis and soccer speak to his mental toughness and superior athletic ability.

Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to coach Jed, but in the past few years I have come to realize that he is also a great person. Jed, has been instrumental in helping me to re-connect with the former alums. Throughout this process, I have come to understand why he is so successful and a recent inductee to our Hall of Fame. Jed is passionate about Emory tennis and his drive to get us all connected has really been inspiring.

Jed also was instrumental in helping Jackson Isaacs land a job with Goldman Sachs. This single act should define what Emory tennis is all about,  and that is we are helping each other through life. Jackson now understands that he needs to pay it forward when he graduates from Emory.

Here's Jackson's interview with Jed:

1.     How has the Emory Tennis Network grown following your graduation?  I was in a situation where I had a relationship with both Coach Schroer and Coach Browning. I have been able to stay in touch with guys that were a few years older (Travis Saacke, Todd Getz, Jim Burns, etc) as well as some of the guys that were freshman when I was a senior, in particular Brett Kaplan and Jason McCarthy.  Both coaches have worked together and have done a great job of trying to keep everyone connected. I applaud both of their efforts as well as the Emory Athletic department in trying to keep everyone connected.

 2.      What is the most rewarding aspect of returning to Emory's campus for Emory Tennis Alumni functions?  I have enjoyed coming back to the campus and seeing more and more tennis championship trophies (both women and men) and know that both programs are extremely healthy and only getting better.

  

3.       How often do you miss the competitive nature of D3 Athletics?  I think that everyone that competed at Emory or in D3 athletics definitely misses the competition once they've graduated.  Playing sports and exercising post college is great, however playing at the collegiate level is something very special, especially at Emory.  Playing on a team, where there is one group goal is extremely satisfying.  

4.      I know you played both soccer and tennis here. Many people playing college tennis have little to no experiences playing on a team.  How did you translate important lessons of teamwork that you learned from soccer onto the Emory tennis team?  I enjoyed playing on a larger team (soccer) as well as a smaller team (tennis). Even though one would think tennis is an individual sport, I really felt that there was one goal in mind at all times - winning a National team championship.  We trained together, traveled and competed together and felt everyone was committed to playing a certain role to win together. I personally tried to lead by example and motivate my teammates at practice or during match play and show that I was there for them during tough on-court battles. 

5.      How is living in the large city of New York? Do you ever miss the South and the culture surrounding it?  New York City is definitely a fascinating place, however growing up on the beach in California, I never thought I would have lasted this long in the Big Apple.  The city is an extremely competitive place, maybe that is why I enjoy it so much. I will admit though, that one of the major downsides of NYC is the accessibility to tennis courts. I guess you don't realize how convenient and beautiful the courts were in Atlanta or California (where I grew up) and the ability to drive five minutes and play for a few hours compared to NYC.

6.      For incoming players, what is your biggest piece of motivation to achieve both academic and athletic excellence?  I'm a big believer that success comes from working hard, staying motivated/disciplined and enjoying the process.  It is easier said than done, but whatever you really put your mind to, you can achieve.  Emory offers individuals a great opportunity to succeed on the field/court as well as in the classroom but nothing comes easy so staying focused and goal orientated is the best advice.

 7.      Where do you see the Emory Tennis Network going in the next decade?  I personally would like to continue to stay active and connected to all of the ex-players and current players. I really enjoyed this past tennis reunion where I met a lot of new people and re-connected with old friends. I hope to be involved in organizing a yearly trip, either in Atlanta or somewhere else so the team can stay connected.  I want to be a resource to the current players in transitioning them into the work force with the mindset of paying it forward and helping out the kids younger than them.

8.      What is your best moment of Emory athletics and D3 competition?  There are so many memories that stand out, but I think the best moment was being asked to be part of the Emory Sports Hall of Fame.   I am truly grateful to be part of this elite group, however a little jealous I was never part of a National Championship team.

ANGIE DUPREY

Angie Duprey has been an invaluable member of our athletics team for a long time. Angie has recently been offered a new job and will be leaving our department. This will be a huge blow for our department considering the amount of time she has dedicated to all of our teams. Angie has been instrumental in helping me to re-connect with our alums and I owe her a huge debt of gratitude.  There are so many people who work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that our athletes have a wonderful experience while they are at Emory and rarely get noticed or appreciated.

Angie thanks for all you have done and good luck with your future endeavors!

ERIC HALPERN REPRESENTS EMORY AT THE FALL ITA NATIONAL SINGLES EVENT

The fall National ITA singles and doubles event is one of our most prestigious events during school year. This event takes the winners of each ITA regional event across the country to battle it out for ITA singles and doubles crown. This year the tournament was in Fort Meyers, Florida, fielding the best 8 players in the country.

Eric Halpern's win at the ITA regional event put him in a very elite class of players who have competed over the years at this event under the Emory banner.  During my tenure at Emory, I have taken this amazing group of players: Brett Kaplan, Michael Miller, Mark Odgers, Alex Jacobs, Jesse Ferlianto, Patrick Redmond, Yoji Masuoka, Michael Goodwin, Mark Boren, Dillon Pottish, Chris Goodwin, Nicolas Szczurek, and Jackson Isaacs. It's an honor to play at this tournament and speaks to the commitment and focus Eric has displayed to get to this point in his career.

Eric had the privilege and burden of being the number 1 seed at the tournament. Eric's first round match was against a talented player from Kenyon, Sam Geier, who won the mid-west regional event. Seeds really do not matter at this tournament because there are no easy matches. Eric started the match playing solid tennis and fortunately, his opponent was making a few unforced errors to aid in a first set win. I could tell that Eric was definitely not comfortable and playing at the level he has come to rely on. So, I knew that the 2nd set was not going to be easy considering that this young man had the potential to raise his game. Geier, has one of the bigger serves in Division III, and unfortunately, he found his rhythm, and eliminated the unforced errors. Geir ended up winning the 2nd set.

I could see that the kid was talented and had a big serve. My hope was that he would not get in a rhythm, but he picked his game up in the second set and with an early break, won it 6-4.  Eric, started out slowly in the 3rd and found himself down 4-1.  As I have stated many times before, he is one of our best competitors, so I was not the least bit surprised that he got himself back in the match. Once again, Eric fought off match points, but on this rare occasion,  he was unable to finish it off.

I am so proud of Eric's effort at this tournament and the amount of work he put into his game over the summer. Eric is a competitor and I know that the results was far from his ultimate goal, but knowing him, the ITA national results will only motivate him more, which will in turn take his game to another level in the spring.