By Dana Melius
The legacy of men’s tennis at Gustavus Adolphus College runs deep, through the leadership of the late Steve Wilkinson and current coach Tommy Valentini, as the Gusties have now rattled off 33 consecutive MIAC regular season championships after clinching at least a share of this year’s title with a win over Carleton last Saturday.
How deep? That dominance runs the Gusties’ consecutive MIAC regular season win streak to 334. The last conference loss? April 27, 1985.
And the tradition of the Gustavus men’s tennis program draws players from far and wide, with 11 international student-athletes on the 2021-22 roster.
“??Usually, when they reach out to us, someone they’ve worked with or know is already familiar with our program, our history, or our tradition,” Valentini said of the international players. “Or they do some research on their own and they realize how strong the level of play is and how positive the experience is at the top of Division III. I think more international student-athletes are starting to realize that is a good pathway for them, especially if they have a coach or family member with some sort of connection to the top end of Division III.”
Daniel Fouchier, of Nootdorp, Netherlands, has played as the Gusties’ No. 3 singles player. His reason for choosing Gustavus mirrored several others as he looked for a U.S. college to further his tennis career.
“The combination of the high level of tennis and academics at Gustavus is the reason why I decided to come here,” Fouchier said. ”On top of that, the great philosophy of the coaches and the team was apparent right from the first meeting which made me feel very confident that I was making the right decision.”
He’s been joined on the roster by his freshman brother, Odin.
“When I came here two-and-a-half years ago, I immediately saw that there was an incredible sense of community on campus,” Odin said.
That international flavor, along with 14 student-athletes from the Upper Midwest, provides both depth and diversity to the Gustavus men’s tennis program.
“We’ve got good depth on the team now,” says Oscar Wikström of Hunnebostrand, Sweden. “And all the international people on the team are such good friends and we know we can always help each other with problems.”
Freshman Taona Mhwandagara, from Harare, Zimbabwe, took a side trip to South Africa for several years of tennis before enrolling at Gustavus. He was impressed immediately with Coach Valentini.
“I like his philosophy,” said Mhwandagara, who is working to crack the varsity lineup. “Right now, I’m just trying to get better. With this team, it’s really competitive. There’s so much depth.”
Attracting international players to Gustavus is nothing new to the program, which has proven successful for the Gusties.
“We’ve been really lucky here over time,” Valentini said. “We’ve had three brothers with the Alhounis [Motasem ’15, Mohaned ’18, Mouaad ’21] and guys like Yassine Derbani ’20 who had a brother who also played in Division III, so there have been some connections like that but for the most part it’s about building that initial relationship with the international students and helping them understand that we’re looking at a really unique and special combination of academics and high-level tennis.”
Another one of the top Gusties singles players is senior Nick Aney of Rochester. He’s one of eight Minnesotans on the Gustavus men’s tennis roster, serving currently as the No. 2 singles player. Team chemistry has been strong, despite a loaded and deep roster, he says.
“It kind of starts at the top with Tommy and the rest of the coaching staff,” Aney said. “You can’t ask for a better coach than Tommy. He builds those individual relationships. And the facilities at Gustavus are second to none.”
Does the team feel any pressure about the 334-straight MIAC winning streak?
“We don’t really talk about that explicitly, that streak,” Aney said. “There’s definitely no extra pressure. It’s there, but we’re just focused on each match and getting better.”
Back on the courts after COVID
Two years ago, the Gustavus men’s tennis team eyed a strong season, Aney said. But COVID put an end to the 2019-20 season and continued to threaten play last year.
“That was one of the toughest things I’ve ever had as a player,” Aney said. “I was even more bummed out for those seniors. It was heart-wrenching. But that’s also given me a lot of perspective.”
Aney, a biochemistry major, hopes to move on to dental school. But there might also be a “ninth semester” for this year’s senior athletes, as Gustavus has offered a free semester and the NCAA is providing one additional season for those student-athletes whose seasons were cut short by the pandemic.
“A lot of athletes are doing it,” Aney said. “It’s a pretty tempting deal. I love the game and I love playing. Tennis is something that I don’t want to give up after Gustavus.”
For Coach Valentini, navigating through the pandemic has not always been easy. But there have been special moments, including the recent spring break trip to California, in which teammates continued to bond and appreciate the opportunity to play tennis.
“In some respects, the way the guys handled it (the pandemic) was really one of the more special things I’ve seen as a coach,” Valentini said. “It certainly presented mass challenges. Overall, it was a test to see what is really important. They really took care of each other. I couldn’t be prouder of how they handled it.”
Continuing the Legacy
Now in his 13th season as men’s tennis coach, Valentini says that overcoming adversity and chasing excellence is just a part of the Gustavus story. He credits the culture, philosophy and values instilled through Wilkinson’s 39-year coaching career.
A plaque honoring Wilkinson, who died in 2015, greets visitors to the Gustavus tennis complex, one he spearheaded and considered one of the finest in the country. And as founder of Gustavus’s “Tennis & Life Camps,” that emphasis on “the Three Crowns of positive attitude, full effort and good sportsmanship,” continues at Gustavus.
“He was the best,” Valentini says. “To me, he was everything, from a coach and teacher, parent and grandparent, to a friend and a mentor. He was everything to me.”
Valentini first met Wilkinson at age 15, as a participant in one of those camps. A Duluth Marshall High School graduate, Valentini would then spend four years as a Gusties men’s tennis player, compiling a 60-7 record in singles and 53-9 in doubles before graduating in 2002. He was also awarded the nationally coveted Arthur Ashe Award and the Hollingsworth Key, given to the senior Gustavus male athlete with the top grades.
At age 29, Valentini was handed over the reins of the men’s tennis program.
“It was an incredible challenge and an incredible honor at the same time,” he said.
Wilkinson, battling cancer, was originally told he had just months to live but would be at Valentini’s side for almost six years. That extra time allowed Wilkinson and Valentini to share time together and helped cement those core values and principles around Gustavus tennis.
Today, Valentini also serves as The Steve Wilkinson Endowed Professor of Sport Ethics and Tennis within the Department of Philosophy at Gustavus.
“That period of time was really important for me as a coach,” Valentini says. “The person who taught and prepared me for it was beside me. That was one of the real advantages. And as I get older, I really appreciate just being with him during that time. I was lucky to have him here.”