By: Brandy Bidlack, sports information assistant
February 10, 2009
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With experience and leadership, the 2009 Bluffton University men’s tennis team is working to make this a successful season. Although Head Coach Blake Kindle, who is in his seventh year at the helm, was sad to lose All-HCAC honoree Tim Kaufman to graduation, he is excited for the start of the 2009 campaign. Kindle stated that he is “looking forward to a new year and anxious to see how things play out.” |
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This year the men’s tennis team is a nice mix of five returning players and five new members anxiously waiting for the season to begin. This year’s captain, junior Sean Williams (Upper Sandusky), is ready to fill a larger role as he will provide leadership both on and off the court. Another junior looking to make an impact is Luke Roeschley (Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young). Other returning players with one year of collegiate experience under their belts are senior John Mark Stratford (Pandora/Pandora-Gilboa) and sophomores David Juarez (Uniontown/Lake) and Jon Stout (Bellevue). |
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Juniors James Bond (Mechanicsburg) and Andrew Martin (Sewickley, PA/North Allegheny) are first-year men’s tennis members that are seeking to make their mark. Rounding out the list of players are Kendall Church (Ft. Wayne, IN/Northrop), Jon Cunningham (Negley/East Palestine) and Nate Stroud (Troy/Troy Christian). The men’s tennis team has been working out diligently, including both running and lifting programs, to prepare for the season. In addition to keeping fit, the men have been attending a racquet club in Lima to work on individual skills during the winter. Coach Kindle believes all of their pre-season training will translate into success on the court. His motto of ‘working hard everyday’ has been the focus as the team prepares for this season. |
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Bluffton will open its 2009 campaign on Thursday, March 12, when the Beavers host the University of Northwestern Ohio, a second-year NAIA program from Lima. The match is slated to start at 4 p.m. On Saturday, March 14, the Beavers will compete in their first conference contests when they travel to Hanover for a tri-match against both the Panthers and Anderson University. -BEAVERS- |
