(Portions of this story courtesy of Trinity University)
SKILLMAN, N.J. - Four members of the Trinity Tigers men’s tennis team have received All-America honors from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
Sophomore Paxton Deuel earned All-America honors in both singles and doubles. Deuel's doubles partner, senior Nico Moreno, achieved All-America status in doubles. Junior Brandon Thompson and sophomore Eliot Guin also garnered the accolades as a doubles team.
Deuel claimed the singles recognition by a number of categories specified by the ITA. He captured the ITA Southwest Region Singles Championship last September, and advanced to the quarterfinals of ITA/USTA National Small College Championships. Deuel won the consolation singles title. In addition, Deuel was the No. 6 seed at the NCAA Division III Singles Championship last month at Claremont, California. He was upset in the first round. Deuel, who transferred to Trinity from the Division I University of Portland, was ranked 12th in DIII singles at the end of the season. He sported an 18-7 dual-match record at the No. 1 singles position.
Moreno and Deuel completed the campaign ranked No. 10 in doubles. The Tiger duo posted a 19-12 match record. At the NCAA Championships, Moreno was named the ITA Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship national award winner, marking the second straight season a Tiger player has earned the honor. Current Assistant Coach Erick DelaFuente won the award last year.
Thompson and Guin won the ITA Regional Doubles Championship, and advanced to the National Small College Championships.
The Tigers, led by fifth-year Head Coach Russell McMindes, finished third at the NCAA Team Championship, also held at Claremont. Eighth-seeded Trinity beat No. 3 Middlebury College 5-4 to claim the third-place position. Trinity began the tournament with an upset victory over No. 2 Washington University-St. Louis.
Trinity wrapped up the season with a 26-7 record, losing just three matches all year to Division III opponents.
