Notes
The table above lists all recruits as of May 19, 2024. In addition to the Star Rating, we display the highest TRN, UTR, WTN, and ITF junior rankings for each player since August 1, 2024, and for international players we display the TRN ranking they would hold if eligible.
Also Receiving Consideration
We reviewed the resumes for more than 50 teams for these rankings. Teams that received strong consideration from our insiders and almost made our list are (alphabetically) as follows: Brandeis, Grinnell, Hendrix, Redlands, TCNJ, Trinity (CT), Wesleyan (CT)
Tartan Talent
Carnegie Mellon University is a strong tennis program that has been fighting through a few tough seasons. After 15 consecutive Top 20 NCAA finishes from 2007 to 2021, the Tartans have suffered losing seasons each of the past three years against championship-caliber competition from the University Athletic Association. The 2024 squad ended its season with an 8-10 record and 5th place finish in the UAA.
© Bill Kallenberg, CapturedInAction.com
But the future looks brighter. Head Coach Mike Belmonte is bringing in a 5-man class that we are excited to name the No. 1 class in all of NCAA Division III tennis.
This Tartan class features the highest-ranked and most well-established recruit on the board in 5-Star senior Alex Feies of Kirkland, Wash. Over the past year, Feies has reached the semifinals of the National Clay Court doubles at National Clay Courts, the round of 32 in singles at Clays, and the quarterfinals in singles at Winter Nationals.
CMU’s class adds great depth and potential with four other intriguing recruits. Takeshi Koey of Singapore was a top-ranked player in Southeast Asia before his required military service. 4-Star athlete Will Secord (Lake Forest, Ill.), who had been ranked in the Top 60 of the Class of 2024, has been competing primarily in ITF events. Fernando Limon (Delray Beach, Fla.) maintained a solid 11+ UTR before falling sick with mononucleosis last past winter. And 3-Star senior Braden Chavez is a late comer to tennis who has tremendous upside - his TRN ranking has jumped more than 200 spots over the past two years.
These five recruits should help lift the Tartans back to the elite echelon to which they are accustomed.
“Our team is thrilled to welcome this very talented and diverse class to campus,” said Belmonte. “I believe they are perfect fits for the university and our tennis program. While it is fair to say expectations will be high in the coming years, there is a ton of work to be done to meet them and I do not expect this class to feel entitled to success just by showing up to campus with this ranking.”
High Five
Another recruiting class who received support for the top spot in our rankings is Johns Hopkins University.
© Contributed Photograph
Third-year head coach Brendan Kincaid has attracted 7 strong recruits to Baltimore: 4-Star athletes Dylan Blenkiron (Las Vegas, Nev.) and Brian Yi (Wynnewood, Pa.) are joined by former Top-50 recruit Jason Li (Houston, Texas) and 3-Star recruits Owen Akers (Matthews, N.C.), Mukundh Boopathi (Ellicott City, Md.), Jack Wexler (Spotsylvania, Va.), and Andy Zhu (Garnet Valley, Pa.). This class - listed in the No. 2 position in our rankings - recruits should help the Blue Jays extend their ongoing run of 18 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.
The Tufts Jumbos check in at No. 3 in our rankings. Head Coach Karl Gregor is bringing three international recruits to Boston - Eren Matthew Chung (Hong Kong), Stavros Mastrogamvrakis (Greece), and Nicolas Tremblay (Australia).
Rounding out our Top 5 are the CWRU Spartans and Amherst Mammoths at No. 4 and 5, respectively.
Conference Call
The 25 teams in our rankings come from 11 different conferences, with the New England Small College Athletic Conference leading the way with 7 programs. Top-5 classes Tufts (No. 3) and Amherst (5) are joined on our list by the Williams Ephs (7), Bowdoin Polar Bears (8), Middlebury Panthers (19), Hamilton Continentals (21), and Colby Mules (25). 7 of the 11 NESCAC programs appear on our list.
Another conference with more than half of its member institutions in the rankings is the University Athletic Association with five of eight classes on the list - all of which appear in the Top 10. The UAA is represented by Carnegie Mellon (1), CWRU (4), Chicago Maroons (6), Emory Eagles (9), and Wash U Bears (10).
No other conference has more than 2 ranked classes.
Drop Shots
Scattershooting through the rankings …
- State of Mind - 15 different states have recruiting classes in our rankings, with Massachusetts leading the way. Six ranked classes hail from the Commonwealth - Tufts (No. 3), Amherst (5), Williams (7), Babson Beavers (14) and MIT Engineers (16).
- I Know You - All 25 programs on our list have had ranked recruiting classes in previous years.
- Familiar Faces - 19 of the 25 classes in our rankings appeared in last year’s 2023 D-III recruiting class rankings.
- Perfect Attendance - We have conducted our D-III rankings every year since 2010, and three programs have appeared on all 15 lists: Chicago (3), CMS (8), and CWRU (9).
- Welcome Back - The Stevens Ducks (24) are back in the rankings for the first time since 2015. That nine-year is the longest time away from the rankings for any school on the list.
- Best Ever - At No. 21, Hamilton is posting its highest-ranked recruiting class in school history.
Coming Friday … D-III Women
We wrap things up with the women later in the week. This coming Friday, TennisRecruiting.net and Inspiration Academy will complete its 2024 recruiting class ranking series with a look at the top 25 women's D-III recruiting classes. Check back for that list - as we celebrate the new blood in college tennis.
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