In the world of collegiate tennis, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division III rankings hold significant importance. On Wednesday, Nov. 13, Hamilton College's tennis players made their mark with remarkable performances. Connor Griff ’25 from Purchase, N.Y./Harrison HS and Antonio Chavez ’28 from Tegucigalpa, Honduras/Emilio Sanchez American School found themselves in the national singles and doubles rankings. Griff, ranked 15th in singles, concluded the fall season with an outstanding 13-4 record. His journey took a turn at the 2024 ITA Men’s Division III Northeast Regional Championships at Drew University in late September. Despite reaching the singles draw final, an injury forced him to retire before the final match. Undeterred, Griff moved on to the 2024 ITA Cup at the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College in mid-October. There, he faced a tough challenge in the first round as he took on the NCAA Division III singles bracket’s No. 1 seed and unfortunately lost by scores of 6-2 and 6-4.

Doubles Success and Challenges

Griff and Chavez, ranked 13th in doubles, also had a notable fall season with a 10-5 record. At the regional championships at Drew, they reached the doubles draw final but had to pull out due to Griff’s injury before the match began. However, at the ITA Cup, they showed their mettle by defeating University of Mary Washington’s Evan Fisher and Brock Ladehoff with scores of 6-1 and 7-6 (6) in the first round of the NCAA Division III doubles bracket. In the quarterfinals, they faced a tough defeat, losing 6-2, 6-2 to Tufts University’s Alex Ganchev and Sacha Maes, who went on to claim the title.

Tarun Korwar's Northeast Region Standout

Tarun Korwar ’27 from Hyderabad, India/Rockwell International School is ranked 19th in the Northeast Region Top 20 singles rankings. He ended the fall season with a solid 6-2 record. In the regional championships, he won three matches and advanced to the quarterfinals of the singles draw, demonstrating his skill and determination on the court.

Spring Season on the Horizon

The Hamilton men’s tennis team is gearing up for the spring portion of their season, which is set to begin in early March 2025. Fans and supporters can look forward to seeing these talented players back in action and continuing to make their mark on the tennis court.