HILTON HEAD, SC - The York College men's tennis team officially opened up their 2009 campaign Monday with a tight 6-3 loss to Methodist in Hilton Head, S.C. The Spartans, whose scheduled opener against Grand Rapids Community College on Sunday was postponed due to weather, begin the year at 0-1 while Methodist improves to 2-2.

Senior standout Tim Mowrer (Gordonville, Pa./Pequea Valley) kicked off his final campaign in the green and white with a 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-1 victory at #1 singles. Travis Klein (East Stroudsburg, Pa./Pocono Mountain East) grabbed another win for York in the sixth slot with a 6-2, 6-1 win.

Methodist secured the second through fifth singles slots but each match could have gone either way. Junior Paul Graci (Exton, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) took the first set of his #2 singles contest before Methodist's Rob Schmidt battled back to win the final two sets. Senior captain Joel Trimmer (Hanover, Pa./Hanover) came out on the short end of a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 result in the #3 slot while Steve Collison (Westville, N.J./Woodbury) dropped a hard fought 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) match at #4. Jeff Mansfield's (Bartonsville, Pa./North Harford) #5 singles match resulted in a 6-4, 6-4 score line for Methodist's Brad Tulenko.

Doubles went the same way as the singles matches with Methodist having just enough to grab the majority of victories. Methodist secured wins in both the #1 and #2 spots, courtesy of identical 8-6 results, while the Spartans' Graci and Collison captured a point for the Green and White with an 8-3 win at #3 doubles.

York is set to play three more matches while on their winter break excursion down south. The Spartans will suit up against Catholic on Tuesday, March 3, at 1:00 pm before split double-header action on Wednesday. The Spartans will play Kutztown in an early 8:00 am contest before finishing their trip with the match against Grand Rapids at 6:30 pm.

MATCH RESULTS

Paul Graci photo courtesy of Eric Linsley