The Jeffs were uniformly solid against MIT. Bryan Wexler '02, Will Abbott '05 and Andrew Merle '04 all won their number one, five and six singles matches in straight sets. Andy Tsai '03 and co-captain George Tsai '02 both lost the first set in their individual matches before subduing their opponents. Andy Tsai won his number three singles match 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, while George Tsai's number four singles match concluded with a dramatic tiebreaker in the final set. Tsai pulled out a 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 win. Adam Leibsohn '03 was the only Jeff to fall in singles, losing 6-1, 6-1.
Amherst also showed improved play in doubles; the team earned the doubles point by winning two of three doubles matches. Ransmeier and Andy Tsai teamed to win number two doubles 8-3 and the combination of Merle and Abbott produced an 8-4 victory for the Jeffs.
While the match against MIT was the Jeffs' last team match of the regular season, Amherst hosted the
NESCAC Championships over the weekend.
While NESCACs focus on individual results, composite team results are calculated as well. As a team, Amherst finished a disappointing seventh in the 11 team field. To no one's surprise, Williams College, the number one ranked college in Division III, won its 10th consecutive NESCAC Championship title. Headlining Williams' stellar performance was Josh Lefkowitz, who won the flight "A" singles championship. Lefkowitz has won this competition for three of the past four years.
The highlight of the weekend for Amherst fans was the run that the doubles team of Ransmeier and Andy Tsai made in the "B" doubles flight. After narrowly defeating the Bates team in the opening round, Ransmeier and Tsai took out the Williams entry to advance to the finals. Unfortunately, the dynamic duo dropped a tight three set affair to Bowdoin, denying the Jeffs the only title they were within striking distance of.
The Jeffs fared worse in the singles competition. George Tsai was the only Amherst player to reach the semifinals and, once there, he was summarily dismissed from the flight "D" competition by Eph Tim White, the eventual flight "D" champion, 6-0, 6-1. Abbott and Andy Tsai both lost in straight sets in the quarterfinals, while Wexler dropped a tough three-setter in the quarters to a Bantam whom he had previously defeated earlier in the year. Leibsohn failed to make the quarterfinals and Merle was forced to retire from his singles match due to injury.
"The tournament should make everyone realize what we have to do in the next few weeks in order for us to have any kind of success at Regionals," said Ransmeier. "I know that we can do it, it's just a question of desire and a little bit of luck to turn some of our close losses into wins."
All the Amherst faithful can do is sit back and hope that the Jeffs don't get bumped from their number seven ranking in the East and the invitation to the postseason that comes with it.