Mike Herzog

The Wittenberg men’s and women’s tennis teams head into the 2003 season with high hopes, coming off twin third-place finishes in the NCAC a year ago. Both return most of their starting lineups, including top players Emily Figel (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Homestead) and Casey Clagett (Steamboat Springs, Colo./Steamboat Springs).

Figel, a sophomore, became the first Wittenberg player to advance to the NCAA Division III National Championships since 1983 when she advanced in the singles bracket last spring. Clagett, a senior, was the NCAC Men’s Tennis Player of the Year in 2002 and won the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Midwest Regional Singles Championship last fall before placing eighth in the nation, one of the highest finishes ever for a Tiger tennis player, male or female.

Joining Figel on the women’s side will be fellow returning starters Shannon Oliphant (Columbus, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson), a senior an All-NCAC selection in each of her first three seasons and the team’s No. 2 singles player a year ago, and sophomore Sarah Fassler (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Ursula), the team’s No. 3 singles player in 2002.

Emily Figel

Other returning letterwinners include junior Valerie Allen (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain), sophomore Ellie Hazelbaker (Cincinnati, Ohio/Roger Bacon), juniorMegan Maher (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Kenston) and junior Deana Nowakowski (Uniontown, Ohio/Lake). Several freshmen have made inroads into the rotation as well, led by Kristyn Russell (Loveland, Ohio/Mt. Notre Dame).

On the men’s side, Clagett is joined in the starting lineup again by junior Duby Lakos (Lynchburg, Va./Heritage) and seniors Eric Cusick (Lima, Ohio/Senior), Mike Herzog (Springfield, Ohio/Northwestern) and Ben Hodgkiss-Lilly (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights). Senior Josh Conley (Springfield, Ohio/Northwestern), sophomore Ben Burkam (Delaware, Ohio/Hayes) and freshman Shane Hutton (Charleston, W.Va./Catholic) are among the top players in a crowded mix for the other starting position.