Advertisement

LINING THEM UP

Experience on the Courts

The most experienced freshman tennis squad in five years" will face Yale today at 3 p.m. on the Soldiers Field courts in an attempt to extend its seven-match undefeated streak. Corey Wynn, who has been sending the Yardlings up to Jack Barnaby's varsity over since 1947, feels that his boys this year are the best bunch on the whole that he has ever coached at the College.

Experience, Wynn feels, puts his players ahead of freshmen at other schools, since he does not have to teach them tennis fundamentals. Most of the first eight men are tested tournament players who have their strokes and form down pat and only need to develop their court tactics to win most of the time.

Two state champions and one runner-up feature the first six men. Gene Mann, who has been alternating with captain John Rauh at one, came in second in last year's Florida junior tournament. Rauh, who will play second today, was state scholastic champion of Ohio for two successive years. The number four man, Don Bossart, was western Pennsylvania champion.

Three of the other five men who usually form the 'A' team are from the West. Donn Spencer at three, John Carollo at five, and Frank Goodman, who has played at six most of the year, are from California, Arizona, and Texas respectively. Herb Stone (who will play in the sixth position today) and Mike Ward in the third doubles round out the group of eight.

Rauh and Mann have been dogfighting for the first singles position all spring. Though the former has played most of the freshman matches at the spot, Mann will start there today after defeating Rauh yesterday. The two of them also form the first doubles team.

Advertisement

Spencer at three is the most improved player on the squad, according to his coach. Since play started in April, Spencer has worked his way up the team ladder from the seventh position.

Spencer plays second doubles with another Don, Bossart, who is also the fourth singles player. The fifth man, Carollo, also plays twice every match, since he joins Ward to make up the third doubles pair.

Stone, who will play at six today for the first time this year, defeated Goodman in three sets yesterday to earn his ranking. Goodman was previously undefeated in all the freshman matches this year, along with both Mann and Bossart. In fact, Bossart has not yet been defeated, since he and Spencer have won all their second doubles matches to date.

Wynn thinks that his Yardlings have a good chance to stay undefeated the rest of the year in matches against M.I.T., Andover, and Dartmouth. Then next year, he expects several members of the freshman team to move up to the varsity and fit into the first six positions there.

Advertisement