Trinity's 2000 National Title Run Selected Top SCAC Men's Tennis Moment

SUWANEE, Ga. - Playing in the national title match of the 2000 NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Championships on the campus of Kalamazoo, Mich., fourth-ranked Trinity University defeated Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) College, 4-3, to earn the program its first-ever NCAA Division III men's team title.

That national title moment is being recognized as the Top Moment in the history of SCAC men's tennis. Top 20 Moments homepage

With both the Trinity men's and women's tennis teams playing at separate sites in the national quarterfinal round, head coach Butch Newman decided to leave the men’s team in the capable hands of former assistant Keith McKay. McKay, a former Tiger All-American, had traveled with the team all season – including in Virginia for the regional finals. Coach Newman and assistant Ryan Takao – who is now the head coach for the Tiger women – stayed with the women’s team.

Once in Kalamazoo, Mich., and after a 4-0 shutout victory over SCAC rival DePauw University in the national quarterfinals, four-time Division III champion UC-Santa Cruz stood in the way of the Trinity men's first-ever trip to the finals. Despite falling behind by two points early in the national semifinals, the Tigers rallied to tie the match at 3-3 with only one match left. Senior Jeevan Ramakrishnan earned the deciding point, and Trinity prevailed 4-3, to set up a meeting with another former champion in Gustavus Adolphus.

After rallying to tie the match at three points apiece, Trinity’s Ed Rahn remained on the court, needing a win at No. 4 singles to give the Tigers the title. After dropping the first set, the junior rallied to win his individual match 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 and the celebration was on.

Trinity became the first school in Division III history to win both the men’s and women’s tennis championships in the same year as the Trinity women knocked off the University of California-San Diego just minutes after the men's victory in Michigan.

Russell Kramer, the SCAC Director of Communications/New Media, had a chance to catch up with former Trinity head coach Butch Newman as well as former Tiger All-American Jeff Mueller to reflect on the Tigers' magical 2000 run to the national title. Click here to list to the interview with Butch Newman; to listen to the interview with Jeff Mueller, click here.

To view the complete list of SCAC Men's Tennis Top Moments, click here.

Throughout the 2010-2011 academic year, the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference will celebrate its 20th anniversary. A special logo commemorating the occasion will be used and the league office will also be releasing the Top 20 moments for each sport the conference sponsors (excluding men's and women's lacrosse).