Trinity's Feldman, Samarth, And McConnell Earn All-NESCAC Men's Tennis Honors
Hartford, Conn., June 16, 2009 - Trinity College men's tennis junior Spencer Feldman (Upper Brookville, N.Y.) was selected to the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) All-Conference First Team, while Bantam senior co-captain Gautam Samarth (Pune, India) and freshman Charles McConnell (Southampton, N.Y.) were selected to the All-NESCAC Second Team as a doubles tandem. Samarth was also named to the 2009 NESCAC All-Sportsmanship Team.
Trinity finished the season with a 10-6 overall record and a 5-4 mark in the NESCAC, qualifying for the league championship tournament for the third straight season. The Bantams earned the No. 5 seed in the league tourney but lost to Bowdoin, 5-3, indoors at Williams in the NESCAC First Round. The team finished ranked No. 5 in the ITA Division III Northeast Regional Poll and No. 19 in the ITA Division III National Poll.
Feldman finished the 2008-09 season with an 11-8 record at the No. 1 singles spot and a 9-6 mark in doubles. A two-time, All-NESCAC selection and both the 2008 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Northeast Region Player to Watch and an ITA Division III All-American after transferring to Trinity in 2007-08 from Division I South Carolina, Feldman qualified for the NCAA Division III Singles Championships for the second year in a row but dropped his opening round match in straight sets. He finished ranked No. 5 in the Northeast and No. 24 nationally among singles players. A graduate of Portledge High School, Feldman is majoring in economics at Trinity. He is the son of Lori and Jeff Feldman.
Samarth and McConnell finished the 2008-09 season with an 11-2 doubles record, playing at the No. 3 position in the Trinity lineup. Samarth was also 12-4 in singles and finished ranked No. 10 in the Northeast among singles players. In his excellent career on the courts, Samarth was 48-10 in singles (3rd most wins all-time at Trinity) and 67-12 in doubles with several partners. An All-NESCAC doubles honoree last season and a two-time NESCAC All-Academic, ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District and ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American selection, Samarth is an alum of Bishop's High School and graduated from Trinity in May with a degree in economics. He is the son of Gitanjal and Ashish Samarth. McConnell, who also won his only singles match this season, is a graduate of the Salisbury School in Connecticut.
