COBLESKILL MEN’S TENNIS PLACES 4TH AT 2008 REGIONAL TOURNAMENT

The SUNY Cobleskill men’s tennis team posted a team score of nine points to place fourth in a field of six teams at the 2008 NJCAA Region III Division III Championship Tournament hosted by Adirondack Community College in Glens Falls, NY over the weekend.

Senior captain Greg Klopfer, Voorheesville, NY, Voorheesville High School, playing at the number three singles position, turned in the team’s top individual performance by advancing to the flight’s finals winning in the semifinals over Ryan Kobor of Adirondack Community College by scores 6-2, 5-7 and 6-2 before falling to Region III Champion Ryan Sadowitz of Onondaga Community College in the finals by scores of 7-6 (7-1) and 6-1. Klopfer closes the 2008 season with a 10-1 overall record.

The Fighting Tigers also received singles victories in the tournament’s first round from freshman Jeremy McMichael, Binghamton, NY, Susquehanna High School, who defeated Greg Shaffer of Herkimer Community College at the number two singles by scores of 7-5 and 6-3 and from senior Andy Crane, Exeter, ME, Dexter Regional High School, who defeated Jon Engell of Mohawk Valley Community College at number five singles in straight sets by scores of 6-2 and 6-4.

In doubles play, the tandem of Greg Klopfer and freshman Zak Kraehmer, Wallkill, NY, Wallkill High School, advanced to the finals at the second doubles slot by defeating Herkimer Community College in the semifinals by scores of 6-4 and 6-2 before losing in the championship match  to the eventual champions from Onondaga Community College 6-0 and 6-2. Klopfer and Kraehmer end the year with a 10-1 record at the second doubles position.

Cobleskill also received a victory in the first round of the number three doubles flight from Andy Crane and freshman Devon Hoffman, Utica, NY Thomas R. Proctor, who defeated Mohawk Valley Community College 7-6 (7-3) and 6-4 before bowing out in the Semifinals to Herkimer Community College in a hard fought match by scores of  6-7 (7-3), 6-3 and 2-6.

“I’m extremely proud of the effort this group of young men put in all season long and the way that they carried themselves throughout the year,” said Fighting Tiger Head Coach Scott Hill. “We said at the beginning of the year that we were going to work on our doubles harder this year and we had all of our doubles teams playing on the final day of the tournament which is a first for us during my tenure. I challenged Greg Klopfer to be our anchor at the third singles spot and he went 10-1 this year in singles play and teamed with Zak Kraehmer at second doubles to go 10-1. Greg will be hard to replace not only because he is a good player but because of his character and leadership ability. I think we all wanted to accomplish more this weekend than we did; however our showing does not take away from the fact we had a very successful season, and represented SUNY Cobleskill in an extremely positive manner throughout the year.”