ITA ranks Wheaton tennis teams among region's best

December 9, 2004

NORTON, MA- The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) released its fall rankings for 2004 this week and placed the Wheaton College men's and women's programs among the region's best. The men's team gathered a ninth-place ranking in the Northeast, while the women's team placed 18th in the region.

Individual rankings for the men included sophomore Payum Payman (Pleasant Valley, NY/Arlington), who recorded a 40th-place national standing and an 11th-place regional ranking in singles competition. The tandem of Payman and junior Matt Sheers (Beacon, NY/Beacon) earned the 12th spot in the Northeast in doubles play.

The women's squad was led by sophomore Ashley Kriwinsky (Munson, OH/Hawken), who received a ninth-place regional ranking in singles competition. Kriwinsky and classmate Jamie Weiss (Chicago, IL/Francis Parker) also received the eighth-place Northeast ranking in doubles play. The ITA does not release individual national rankings for the women in the fall.

Payman, who posted a 15-4 singles record as the team's ace and a 12-7 doubles mark with Sheers in his first season, began this fall right where he left off. After he and Sheers helped lift Wheaton to its first Grass Court Doubles Tournament championship in Newport, Rhode Island, Payman defeated his opponent from Colby College in a dual match and then reached the round of 16 at the ITA New England Regional Tournament. Sheers, who went 13-5 in the second position as a sophomore, also won at Colby and reached the second round of the ITA Tournament.

Kriwinsky had nearly a flawless second season this fall, going 17-3 overall in the top slot with a 14-3 doubles record alongside Weiss. Kriwinsky, who was voted to the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) All-Conference first team in singles play while joining Weiss for a second-team honor in doubles action, advanced to the third round of the ITA New England Regional Tournament and semifinal round of the New England Women's Intercollegiate Tennis Tournament (NEWITT). The Kriwinsky and Weiss duo also reached the quarterfinal round of the NEWITT Tournament.

As a team, the Wheaton women finished their fall season at 7-7 overall and 2-5 in the NEWMAC. Boasting a 1-0 mark with their win over Colby, the men will begin their spring season on Sunday, March 13 against Colby-Sawyer College in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

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