Eric Cusick

The Tiger men's tennis squad is off to another strong start toward what they hope is an NCAA Division III Tournament berth. Playing a very difficult schedule, however, it looks like the Tigers may come up just short of that goal.

Wittenberg, ranked ninth in the Central Region in the latest polls, has absorbed dual match losses to Kenyon, DePauw and Wheaton, three of the teams ranked ahead of the Tigers, and placed second behind top-ranked Washington University at last weekend's Kerry Seward Invitational at Wabash College. Those results leave Wittenberg with little room for error heading into NCAC West Division action later this week and next month.

Senior No. 1 singles player Casey Clagett (Steamboat Springs, Colo./Steamboat Springs), who won the regional singles championship last fall, has the best record on the team at 15-7. Senior No. 3 singles player Eric Cusick (Lima, Ohio/Senior) checks in at 12-5, senior No. 4 singles player Mike Herzog (Springfield, Ohio/Northwestern) has a record of 10-6 and senior No. 5 singles player Ben Hodgkiss-Lilly (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights) carries a mark of 9-5.