Despite consisting almost exclusively of newcomers to Amherst's athletics scene, the men's tennis team carried on tradition with aplomb and then some in its first tournament of the season. The men not only successfully defended their ECAC North Tennis Championship title at Vassar College, but they did so in record-breaking fashion, winning the event by the largest margin ever in its history at Vassar.

The Jeffs featured only two returning players in this opening tournament: junior Danny Babkes and senior co-captain Max Rettig. These experienced players served as bookends for the newcomers, playing at first and fifth singles, respectively. Sophomore transfer Lenny Lepner and rookies Michael Mintz and Geoff Schwarz filled the second through fourth singles spots, respectively, while another pair of rookies, Jeffrey Wan and Tal Avrahami, took care of the doubles slate.

The Jeffs cruised through their opponents for the most part.

"The other teams all had solid players; we just had a little edge above everyone else," said Mintz.

Babkes, Lepner, Schwarz and Rettig all won their respective flights as did Wan and Avrahami. Babkes, Schwarz, Rettig and the doubles team did not drop a set in the final round. Mintz reached the finals of the third singles flight before falling in three sets to Rob Norton of Salve Regina University.

Amherst earned 23 points for its successes across the board to finish in first, 10.5 points ahead of runners-up Salve Regina and New York University, who tied for second in the field of seven teams.

Given the alacrity of the newcomers in adjusting to collegiate tennis and the tested skill of the team's returning athletes, the Jeffs should be in good shape for this weekend's Omni ITA Championships at MIT, which take place Friday through Sunday.