Cementing a New Tradition
A new tradition was being sealed here at Trinity. But Coach Newman, the tennis players, and the program still wanted to be a top team in division three athletics. Having students that, “... are realistic and have very solid priorities” was one half of the puzzle. But, bringing the program back to the top of division three was a new challenge. Coach Newman pointed out that “this is the way [he] approached it. This is a new era and we are writing a new chapter in Trinity Tennis. I set goals to be the best division three school in the country.” In men’s tennis, it did not take long to get back to winning ways. They were SCAC champions by 1994, but, strived for more. In 1999, the men’s tennis team finished as national semifinalists. Finally, in 2000, men’s and women’s tennis won national championships within 30 minutes of each other. A program that had to start all over and begin a new chapter had made it back to the top of the ranks. But instead of the top of division one, it was the top of division three tennis. This happened with student-athletes. Players that put their academics just as high or even higher than their tennis game, showing that a program can still compete at the highest level even with athletes that are presumed to not continue after college and pondering and anticipating a career after four years at Trinity.
With this new mindset and the guidance of current head coach Russell McMindes since 2009, the Trinity tennis program is still dominating today. They have one every SCAC championship and have gone as far as the quarterfinals in the NCAA tournament (SCAC website). Krimbill discussed how it is “a great privilege to play for an amazing tennis program at Trinity. Our coach has us learn about the history of trinity tennis dating back decades and makes sure we understand that we can do anything we put our minds to.” Krimbill added that “the program is also very historic with some of the greatest tennis players playing at Trinity and it really is an honor to be able to say that I am playing at the same school as them.”