April 28, 2008

New Haven, Conn. - Jeff Dawson, a junior from St. Charles, IL., was named the captain for the Yale men's tennis team for the 2008-09 season. Dawson was elected by his teammates Saturday night to succeed Rory Green as captain next year.

In his three seasons at Yale, Dawson has been a major contributor for the Bulldogs. As a freshman and sophomore, Dawson played primarily at the No. 3 singles position and posted a combined 35-28 record during the two seasons. Splitting time between No. 1 and No. 2 singles this past season, Dawson came up with many huge victories for the Bulldogs including wins against Princeton, Cornell, and Dartmouth at No. 1 singles.

Honored by the selection as team captain, Dawson said he looks forward to serving as captain.

"With so much tradition in Yale athletics, it is a true honor being elected captain of the Yale men's tennis team," Dawson said. "Being surrounded by a group of upstanding individuals makes every day more enjoyable. I have learned much over the previous three years having followed such great captains as Matthew Feldman, Brandon Wai, and Rory Green."

After completing the 2008 spring season with a 9-12 record, the Bulldogs will return nine players next season. Dawson said he looks for the team to improve upon its 3-4 Ivy League record to compete for the Ivy League Championship.

"Next year brings great opportunity," Dawson said. "There is no doubt in my mind that we will make a run at the Ivy Title. With hard work and dedication in the off-season, we will come back in full force and be ready to compete. We have a very strong team that has set forth high expectations, and we plan to capitalize on the goal at hand."

Report Filed by Steven Horn '10, Yale Sports Publicity