Spring Hill College Tennis 2017

2017 TENNIS

TENNIS PREVIEW 2017

Spring Hill College (SHC) tennis head coach John Dotson is optimistic about the third season for his teams in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) and NCAA Division II.

“Last year our men finished second in the overall standings in the SIAC and our women finished in the middle of the conference,” he said. “I expect the men to be at least that good if not better if we are up to strength and the women absolutely will be better.”

Dotson’s Badgers feature a core of experienced veterans making his confidence well founded. “Both our teams return two seniors,” he said. “It’s important to have experienced senior leadership and we definitely have four players ready to fill that role.”

For the SHC men’s team, seniors Alejandro Hastings Oro (Mexico City, Mexico) and Martin Jaramillo (Manizales, Columbia) return. “Alejandro is back for his fourth consecutive year as our No. 1 Court singles player,” says Dotson. “But he’s being challenged by Lars Bajohr (junior, Versmold, Germany) and that’s not a bad thing.” Joining the men’s line up this year will be the two freshmen Brandon Harden (Mount Vernon, Ala.) and Kurt Shiell (Mandeville, La.) and Dotson is looking forward to their debuts in February when he sees Shiell teaming with Bajohr on the No. 1 doubles court. “Both the freshmen are showing the ability to be team leaders and that’s a great sign for the future,” says Dotson. “Sheill in particular has a wealth of experience in juniors and in high school, so he will be a great addition.”

Junior Andrew Risley (Ocean Springs, Miss.) is also back after spending most of the 2016 season on the No. 5 singles court and the No. 2 doubles court while sophomore Joel Fonseca (Hahnville, La.) looks to break into the starting line-up. Sophomore brothers Ferdinand Amanor and Frank Amanor out

of Murphy High School in Mobile will be an important key to success for the Badgers especially in the early stages of the year. “The Amanor brothers will have to pick up our slack early because we will be recovering from a few nagging bumps and bruises when the season opens,” says Dotson. “But they are ready for the challenge.”

The women’s team finds its strength in its youth according to Dotson. “Our two freshmen will be significant contributors this year,” he says. “But we have a lot of depth and I feel I can plug all eight of our players into any situation and they will succeed.” Freshmen Helen Ann Cornell (McGill-Toolen Catholic High School, Mobile) and Rebecca Pearlman (Vestavia, Ala.) join junior Maria Hastings Oro (Mexico City) and sophomore Madison Artigues (New Orleans, La.) in the starting roster. “Maria and Madison are still our No. 1 and No. 2 Singles Court players as well as our No. 1 Doubles Court team,” says Dotson.

Senior Kate Sotolongo (Kenner, La.) was 5-4 in conference play last season mainly on the No. 5 Singles Court while fellow senior Allison Gmelich (St. Louis, Mo.) looks to be back on the No. 6 Court. Junior Elizabeth Peters (St. Louis) spent the majority of 2016 at the No. 3 Singles Court as well as the Number 2 Doubles position along with her partner sophomore Brenda Carrada (Mexico City) who played on the No. 4 singles court.

Dotson says the 2017 Badgers need to get off to a fast start. “We open the first week in February and it’s going to be cold up in Memphis,” he says. “It will also be cold at the first SIAC Round-Up in Columbia, S.C., where we have to play at various venues scattered around town. We’ll have to be focused and mentally ready to play, but over half our team was on the conference Academic Honor Roll last year and we should be up to the task.”

COACHING STAFF

John Dotson - Head Coach

An independent tennis professional for the City of Fairhope since 2010, Dotson joined the Badger coaching staff in the fall of 2013 as the men’s coach after having also served as a volunteer coach at Fairhope High School for four seasons and the owner/director of The Club at Rock Creek from 2004-2010. He assumed the reins of the women’s program in the summer of 2014.

Dotson holds an Associate in Arts degree from Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, Tenn., and earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Birmingham-Southern College in 1984.

A native of Detroit, Mich., Dotson has also served as the owner/director of Cascades Racket Club in Clinton, Miss., and been the Head Tennis Professional at The Fields Club in Norcross, Ga., and The Country Club of Roswell in Roswell, Ga. He began his career in coaching as the Head Tennis Professional for the Town of Mt. Pleasant, S.C., in January 1994. As collegiate player, Dotson was the Team MVP at Martin Methodist in 1982 and earned a national ranking in the NAIA at Birmingham-Southern during the 1984 season.

GENERAL FACTS

Institution: Spring Hill College

City/State/Zip: Mobile, AL 36608

President: Christopher Puto, Ph.D.

Founded: 1830

Enrollment: 1,496

Nickname: Badgers

School Colors: Purple, white

Home Facility: Copeland-Cox (Mobile)

Tennis Center

Capacity: 2,000

Affiliation: NCAA Division II

Conference: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic

Division: West

Athletic Director: Jim Hall

Alma Mater: Grinnell College, 1995

Faculty Athletic Representative: Steve Almquist, Ph.D.

Compliance: Chad LeBlanc

Senior Woman Administrator: Alison Sellers-Cook

Athletic Department Phone: 251-380-3485

Athletic Department Fax: 251-460-2196

Sports Information Director: Jim Stennett

Alma Mater: Mississippi State, 1990

SID Phone: (251) 380-4468

SID Email: jstennett@shc.edu

Athletic Web Site: www.shcbadgers.com

Twitter: SHCBADGERS

Facebook: SHCBADGERS

Instagram: SHCBADGERS

COACHING STAFF

Head Coach: John Dotson

Alma Mater: Birmingham-Southern, 1984

Men’s record at school/years: 33-33/ 3 seasons

Women’s record at school/years: 20-28/ 2 seasons

Men’s overall career record/years: 33-33/ 3 seasons

Women’s overall career record/years: 20-28/ 2 seasons

Office Phone: (251) 380-3487

Strength & Conditioning Coach: Justin Goonan

Athletic Trainer: Brian Gronewold, ATC

Assistant Athletic Trainers: Abigail Hunt, ATC; Dani Ellis, ATC

Office Phone: 251-380-3493

WOMEN’S TEAM INFORMATION

Overall Record Last Year: 12-15

Conference Record/Finish: 7-7 (SIAC West)

Final NCAA Rating: N/A

Players returning/lost/new: 6/2/2

MEN’S TEAM INFORMATION

Overall Record Last Year: 13-12

Conference Record/Finish: 10-3 (SIAC West)

Final NCAA Rating: N/A

Players returning/lost/new: 7/3/2

WOMEN’S 2017 ROSTER

Madison Artigues So 1L

Brenda Carrada So. 1L

New Orleans, La./St. Mary’s Dominican HS

Mexico City, Mexico/Escuela Sierra Nevada

Helen Ann Cornell Fr. HS Mobile, Ala./McGill-Toolen Catholic HS

Allison Gmelich Sr. 1L St. Louis, Mo./Cor Jesu Academy

Maria Hastings Oro Jr 1L Mexico City, Mexico/SIAC

Rebecca Pearlman Fr. HS Vestavia, Ala./Vestavia Hills HS

Elizabeth Peters Jr. 1L St. Louis, Mo./Ursuline Academy St. Louis

Kate Sotolongo Sr. 1L Kenner, La./Archbishop Chapelle HS

WOMEN’S 2017 ROSTER

MEN’S 2017 ROSTER

Player Class Exp. Hometown/Previous School(s)

Ferdinand Amanor So. 1L

Frank Amanor So. 1L

Mobile, Ala./Murphy HS

Mobile, Ala./Murphy HS

Lars Bajohr Jr 1L Versmold, Germany/CJD Gymnasium Versmold

Joel Fonseca So SQ Hahnville, La./Hahnville HS

Brandon Harden Fr. HS

Mount Vernon, Ala./W.P. Davidson HS

Martin Jaramillo Sr. 1L Manizales, Columbia/San Luis Gonzaga

Alejandro Hastings Oro R-Sr. 1L

Mexico City, Mexico/Prepa Galo/Northwestern Ohio

Andrew Risley Jr 1L Ocean Springs, Miss./Ocean Springs HS

Kurt Shiell Fr. HS Mandeville, La./Saint Paul’s School

2016 RESULTS

Date Opponent

Jan. 30 Birmingham-Southern College (men) The Country Club of Mobile L, 0-9 University of Montevallo (women)

Feb. 5 *at Stillman College

Copeland-Cox (Mobile) Tennis Center L, 0-9

Tuscaloosa, Ala. W, 5-1/ L, 4-5

Feb. 6 at Birmingham-Southern College Birmingham, Ala. L, 0-9/ L, 0-9

Feb. 13 vs. Tougaloo College

Feb. 16 University of Mobile

University of Mobile W, 9-0/ W, 9-0

Copeland-Cox (Mobile) Tennis Center L, 0-9/ L, 0-9

Feb. 20 *at Fort Valley State University Fort Valley, Ga. W, 9-0/ W, 5-4

Feb. 25 *vs. Morehouse College (men)

SIAC Round-Up No. 1

Feb . 26 *vs. Benedict College

*vs. Tuskegee University

*vs. Albany State University (women)

Feb. 27 *vs. Lane College

*at LeMoyne-Owen College

Memphis, Tenn. W, 5-4

Memphis, Tenn. L, 2-5/ L, 3-6

Memphis, Tenn. W, 8-0/ L, 2-5

Memphis, Tenn. W, 6-2

Memphis, Tenn. W, 9-0/ W, 1-0 (forfeit)

Memphis, Tenn. W, 8-1/ W, 9-0

*vs. Clark Atlanta University (women) Memphis, Tenn. L, 4-5

Mar. 2 Ohio Northern University (women)

Copeland-Cox (Mobile) Tennis Center L, 0-9

Mar. 8 Mississippi College Medal of Honor Park L, 2-7/ L, 0-9

Mar. 9 vs. Point University Orange Beach, Ala. L, 1-8/ W, 6-3

Mar. 15 at University of Mobile Univ. of Mobile L, 0-9/ L, 0-9

SIAC Round-Up No. 2

Mar. 24 *Fort Valley State University

Mar. 25 *Morehouse College (men)

*Tuskegee University

Copeland-Cox (Mobile) Tennis Center W, 5-0/ W, 5-2

Copeland-Cox (Mobile) Tennis Center L, 3-6

Copeland-Cox (Mobile) Tennis Center W, 6-2/ L, 0-6

*Clark Atlanta University (women) Copeland-Cox (Mobile) Tennis Center L, 4-5

*Stillman College

Copeland-Cox (Mobile) Tennis Center W, 7-0/ L, 0-5

*Albany State University (women) Copeland-Cox (Mobile) Tennis Center W, 9-0

*Benedict College (men)

*LeMoyne-Owen College

Copeland-Cox (Mobile) Tennis Center L, 2-5

Copeland-Cox (Mobile) Tennis Center W, 7-2/ W, 9-0

Mar. 30 vs. Indiana University Southeast University of Mobile L, 2-7/ L, 2-7

Apr. 3 Christian Brothers University

Copeland-Cox (Mobile) Tennis Center L, 3-5/ L, 0-9

Apr. 8 vs. Louisiana College Clinton, Miss. W, 9-0/ W, 7-0 vs. Tougaloo College Clinton, Miss. W, 9-0/ W, 9-0

Apr. 16 vs. Loyola University (La.)

* SIAC match

2016 SIAC FINAL STANDINGS

Team SIAC Overall

Women

Benedict 13-0 19-5

Tuskegee 12-1 13-4

Clark Atlanta 10-6 10-12

Stillman 8-5 8-10

Spring Hill 7-7 10-15

Fort Valley State 1-8 1-8

Albany State 1-9 1-17

Lane 0-6 0-6

LeMoyne-Owen 0-10 0-10

Ocean Springs, Miss. L, 0-9/ W, 8-1

Team SIAC Overall Men

Benedict 13-0 15-9

Spring Hill 10-3 13-12

Morehouse 9-3 9-8

Stillman 6-5 6-8

Tuskegee 3-9 3-14

Fort Valley State 1-7 1-7

LeMoyne-Owen 1-7 1-7

Lane 1-8 1-8

2017 SCHEDULE

Feb. 23 *at Benedict College Columbia, S.C.-Columbia Tennis Center 8:30 a.m. (EST) *vs. Tuskegee University Columbia, S.C.-Southeast Park Tennis Center 1:30 p.m. (EST)

Feb. 24 *vs. Fort Valley State University

(EST) *vs. LeMoyne-Owen College

Feb. 25 *vs. Morehouse College (men) Columbia, S.C.-Greenview Park 8:30 a.m. (EST)

*vs. Clark Atlanta University (women) Columbia, S.C.-Greenview Park 8:30 a.m. (EST)

*vs. Albany State University

Mar.

Mar. 13

Mar. 19 Huntingdon College (men) Copeland-Cox (Mobile) Tennis Center 1

Mar. 21 at Point University

2017 SIAC Round-Up

Mar. 30

*Fort Valley State University

*Clark Atlanta University

*Albany State University

Mar. 31 *Lane College

*LeMoyne-Owen College

Apr. 1 *Tuskegee University

*Benedict College

Apr. 8 vs. Loyola University (La.)

* SIAC match

Copeland-Cox (Mobile) Tennis Center

Copeland-Cox (Mobile) Tennis Center TBA

Copeland-Cox (Mobile) Tennis Center TBA

Copeland-Cox (Mobile) Tennis Center TBA

Copeland-Cox (Mobile) Tennis Center TBA

Copeland-Cox (Mobile) Tennis Center TBA

Copeland-Cox (Mobile) Tennis Center TBA

(EST)

(EST)