With their 2011 season starting this weekend, the Pomona-Pitzer men’s tennis team is looking to build on their success from last year and compete as one of the best teams in the nation. After securing a spot among the top 20 teams in the country in a preseason coaches’ poll, the Sagehens will attempt to capture the SCIAC championship and qualify for the NCAA team championships in the upcoming season.

Key players on this talented squad include junior captain Tommy Meyer PO ’12, who, last season, was one of 22 players in the program’s history to be named to the singles All-American team. The stellar Sagehen also reached Round 16 at the NCAA Division III Singles Championship and was voted onto the All-SCIAC First Team. Other key returnees include Frankie Allinson PO ’13 and Uday Singh PO ’12, both of whom were named to the All-SCIAC Second Team last season. Alex Groth PO ’12 and Max Sabel PZ ’13 will add depth to the roster as starters from last season.

This season’s roster also includes two newcomers, Chris Wiechert PZ ‘14 from Eugene, Oregon, and the younger of the Meyer brothers, Mike Meyer PZ ‘14. Wiechert and Meyer were both high school tennis standouts. Wiechert earned state recognition as the #3 recruit in all of Oregon, and Meyer was a star prospect according to the Tennis Recruiting Network (which ranked P-P’s incoming freshmen class 18th in Division III).

When asked about the upcoming season, Wiechert emphasized that hard work and staying focused as a team would be the keys to success. With daily 7 a.m. lifts and evening practices, it seems as though the team is already well under way with the “hard work” component. As Meyer put it, P-P is “one of the most dedicated teams you can find in college tennis.”

Tommy agreed with his brother (for once), “I can safely say I’ve never played on a team with such depth. We have youth and talent on our side and our team chemistry is at an all-time high. I think that these factors will contribute to our most successful season in many years. We are all pumped for the season and can’t wait to showcase our talent in our awesome new tennis facilities.”

The team will travel to play Whittier College this Saturday, weather permitting. Next week, they will play Brandeis at home on Wednesday, and Cal Lutheran away on Saturday.