Coaches and players alike speak of starting on the right foot and that’s no exception for Flagler men’s tennis coach
Walter Shinn.
Flagler did start on the right foot last September when they competed at the Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional. No. 1 singles player
David Cotrone lost in the title match.
Harry Snoxell won a couple matches. As did
Gino Ramirez.
Those performances has helped transition the men’s team into their inaugural season in the Peach Belt Conference. Their season starts February 5th against Palm Beach Atlantic.
“We’ve improved our lineup quiet a bit,” said Shinn. Not only did Flagler’s top three players perform well at the regional, valuable playing time was attained for the rest of the men’s team.
“It is a solid group of kids. I’m really excited,” said Shinn.
Flagler opens with four non-conference opponents before getting into league play. Three of Flagler’s first four opponents, Palm Beach Atlantic, Saint Leo and Webber International, were teams that the Saints defeated a year ago.
The Saints’ first conference match comes February 20th against the USC Aiken. Shinn admits he doesn’t know much about the conference.
“I really don’t know the strength of the teams. With last year’s team, it would be tough to be in the top half (of the standings.) But with this year’s team, we probably have a really good shot at it,” said Shinn.
With a little time to prepare for the Peach Belt slate, Shinn has been pleased with his team’s comraderie and development on the practice court.
“They all are really good friends,” said Shinn. “But their also competitive, too. David pushes them very hard.”
The team’s hard work paid off in mid-December when the Intercollegiate Tennis Association released its Division II Top 50 Poll. Flagler made the poll at No. 34.
“Being in the top 50 is good, but our team is good enough for the top 20,” said Shinn.
The schedule
As mentioned before, Flagler’s first four opponents are non-conference. Three of those teams, Saint Leo University, Palm Beach Atlantic and Webber International, were wins for Flagler last season.
Flagler’s first conference opponent, USC Aiken, went 19-5 last season with a 5-3 conference record. In the ITA Preseason Poll, the Pacers are ranked No. 17.
On March 3, the men’s team will face tough competition against Concordia. Last year, Flagler was blanked 9-0 at home by the Clippers. Concordia is ranked No. 9 in the ITA Preseason Poll.
Flagler will face seven ranked teams this season, including three in the top 10.
On February 28th, the Saints will face-off against Columbus State. The Cougars were voted No. 8 in the ITA Preseason poll. Flagler will follow that up on March 3rd against Concordia. The Clippers handled the Saints last year, 9-0, and come in at No. 9.
Flagler's final match against a top-10 foe comes Apr. 7 against Armstrong Atlantic. The Pirates have won the past two national championships. They've lost just once, to GCSU, in that time span.
The players
Coach Shinn discusses his top players heading into the 2010 season.
David Cotrone: “David's very strong mentally. He’s doing everything he needs to do to be a great player. His game has a lot of touch, but also a lot of power.” Cotrone was outstanding at the Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional. He knocked off four players, including the top seed, before falling in the title match. He's the sixth-ranked player in the Southeast Division, too.
Harry Snoxell: “If Harry plays like he did at regionals, I’m expecting big things. He’s a very good player. He just needs to keep it together mentally.”
Gino Ramirez: “Gino's gotten better each year. He has a good attitude and played great at regionals.”
Mason Addison: “Mason's playing better and working hard. He’ll play, but I’m just not sure at what spot.”
Peter and Stephen Coulis,
Tim Hansson,
Skyler Engel and
Elio Bianciardi round out the men’s roster. Coach Shinn described their roles on the team much like Addison’s. They will all play, but at what spot is to be determined as the season progresses.