Steve Finkernagel

Team co-captain Alex Makos leads the Colonels into this weekend's MAC Individual Championships

WILKES MEN’S TENNIS SET FOR MAC INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

10/12/2012 8:00:00 AM

WILKES MEN'S TENNIS SET FOR MAC INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

EDWARDSVILLE – The Wilkes University men's tennis team is set for the Middle Atlantic Conference Championships with several key players returning this season as they look to defend previous championships as well as gain valuable experience for first-year newcomers.

The event is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at the Ralston Athletic Complex and Kirby Park. Play will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday.

The Colonels are a year removed from winning the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles championships, but the Wilkes pairs will look a bit different this year with several freshmen adding excitement to the mix. Wilkes had five players lose in the semi-finals or later in singles play last year in the MAC Individual Championships.

“The men are very excited for this upcoming MAC Individual Tournament,” head coach Chris Leicht said. “We have had an excellent fall, with great tournament results at Muhlenberg and Scranton with a great team win at Lycoming College,” he added.

All 12 members of the team including five freshmen will be contributing in the championship event.

Below is a Wilkes flight-by-flight preview.

Singles

No. 1 – Steven Wilson (Bronx, NY/JFK)
Wilson returns after earning Rookie of the Year honors in the Freedom Conference as well as First-Team All-Freedom last season. He posted an 8-7 overall record including a 5-0 mark in Freedom play and was a semifinalist last year in No. 1 singles.

No. 2 – Alex Makos (Mansfield, PA/Mansfield)
Makos, the Colonels co-captain, was a First-Team All-Freedom nominee a year ago after posting a 9-6 overall mark. Finished second in No. 2 singles last season in the same event after capturing the singles title as a freshman.

No. 3 – Michael Kranz (Depew, NY/Lancaster Central)
Kranz has made an immediate impact in his first season in the Navy and Gold currently standing 4-2 through the fall. At Lancaster Central, he was a three-time New York state qualifier as well as two-time section champion.

Connor Peckham (Warminster, PA/Central Bucks East)
Peckham will compete with Kranz for the No. 3 spot coming from a very strong tennis area near Philadelphia. A three-time All-Conference selection at Central Bucks East, he stands 5-1 through the Wilkes fall season.

No. 4 – Brendon Blachowski (Newtown, PA /Council Rock North)
Blachowski won No. 3 doubles a year ago and has moved up a spot in the singles lineup due to his consistent play (3-1 this fall). Also finished 3-1 last season for Wilkes playing primarily at No. 5.

Max Appello (Sparta, NJ/Sparta)
Appello played No. 1 singles while participating in the New Jersey high school state tournament during his time at Sparta. He stands 3-1 thus far this fall mostly from the No. 5 position in the Wilkes lineup.

No. 5 – Clarke Freeman (York, PA/Central York)
Freeman earned Second-Team All-Freedom honors for the second straight year after posting a combined 12-3 mark. He recorded the Freedom Conference clincher against King's on his way to being named the Freedom Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player. Freeman is 2-2 this fall.

Trey Fidler (Myerstown, PA/ELCO)
Fidler returned to the Wilkes lineup late this fall. He provides strong singles play in the No. 5 and 6 spots after going 8-4 last season for the Colonels.

No. 6 – Brandon Helfrich (Bloomsburg, PA/Central Columbia)
Helfrich, a Wilkes co-captain, finished his junior season with an 11-4 overall mark and picking up the lone Wilkes win against Stevens in the NCAA tournament. He is a perfect 2-0 this fall.

Daniel Hackford (Binghamton, NY/Seton Catholic)
Hackford is off to an impressive start to his Wilkes career unbeaten in four matches (4-0) this fall. He is solid singles player, earning a spot in the New York state tournament in doubles last year at Seton Catholic.

No. 1 Doubles — Wilson and Makos
No. 2 Doubles — Kranz/Peckham and Helfrich/Hackford
No. 3 Doubles — Blachowski/Freeman and Appello/Fidler
No. 4 Doubles — Strunk/Austero

“We build our fall schedule so we are peaking for this large MAC tournament. We are extremely deep and I expect big contributions from our outstanding freshman class led by Michael Kranz (Depew, NY/Lancaster Central), Connor Peckham (Warminster, PA/Central Bucks East), Max Appello (Sparta, NJ/Sparta), and Daniel Hackford (Binghamton, NY/Seton Catholic),” Leicht added.

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