Hanover
Conklin’s defeat of the Tigers’ Payton Holden capped a 4-1 defeat of Princeton and earned the No. 27 Big Green at least a share of its first Ivy League title in 21 years. The circuit was formed in 1954 and Dartmouth’s shared crowns in 1993 and 1997, were, until Sunday, the only ones during the program’s 117-year history.
The victory over the Tigers came during the Big Green’s final regular-season match and boosted it into first place in the Ivies at 6-1. Columbia (5-1), which lost to visiting Dartmouth earlier this month, plays its final contest on Saturday at Cornell (3-3). The No. 16 Lions are aiming for a share of their fifth consecutive league crown.
“We’ve shown an ability to relax and play well in big matches,” said eighth-year Dartmouth coach Chris Drake, whose team will be returning to the NCAA tournament for the second time in three years. “We’ve had other teams that were close (to a title), but this one managed to get over the hump. We have depth up and down the lineup, and we can win at any singles or doubles spot.”
Dartmouth tennis matches sometimes draw only friends and family, but Sunday’s event pulled in about 200 fans, adding students and townsfolk to the mix, along with scampering children outfitted in free T-shirts and sucking on gratis lollipops. Pizza was passed out, and a kids clinic was held immediately after the championship celebration.
“I’m really proud of this team because this might be the toughest Ivy League ever,” said Drake, who led Brown to the 2002 Ivy title as a player, that program’s first-ever crown. “We’ve got six teams in the top 50, and we’re playing good teams all the time.”
Dartmouth (20-5) features players from England, Croatia, Sweden and Canada. The Big Green has finished second in the Ivies twice and third three times under Drake. Senior co-captain Max Fliegner, who earned one of Sunday’s points with a No. 4 singles victory, noted the talents of its five freshmen and two sophomores.
“This has been a long time coming,” said Fliegner, who’s from Michigan. “I thought we’d have (a title) sooner, but we have an amazing group of freshmen who have contributed immensely. They’ve played as big a role, if not a bigger one, than all the older guys. We’re really proud of them.”
Dartmouth junior Roko Glasnovic and freshman Casey Ross won, 6-3, at No. 2 doubles, and Fliegner and Conklin prevailed, 6-4, at the third doubles slot, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead heading into singles play.
Princeton (18-11, 3-4) won at No. 3 singles to forge a 1-1 tie. However, Dartmouth sophomore David Horneffer won, 6-4, 6-1, at No. 2, and Fliegner triumphed, 6-3, 6-3, at No. 4. Conklin clinched the team victory with a 6-3, 6-4 performance at No. 6.
“Our profile has definitely gone up during the last 10 years,” Fliegner said. “I don’t think many schools take us for granted, because we’ve shown we can play with the best teams. An outright title would be great, but this means a lot to us either way.
Notes: Drake said league rules mandate playing outdoors if the temperature at match time is 50 degrees or higher and winds are 20 mph or below. … The NCAA tournament begins May 18 and is being hosted by Wake Forest. … Dartmouth sophomore and No. 1 singles player Chris Broom is ranked 114th in the country. The Big Green’s top doubles pairing of Broom and Horneffer is No. 60. … The Thompson courts feature blue playing surfaces.
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com or 603-727-3227.