BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva men's tennis team has its sights set on March 17^th, when the Golden Tornadoes will resume play after going 1-1 through two matches in the fall. In anticipation of the upcoming season, the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) released its men's tennis preseason poll this afternoon, and Geneva came in 7^th overall in the predicted standings with 27 points. Allegheny garnered 64 points and eight of the nine available first-place votes to take the top spot in the poll, while Grove City received the ninth and final first-place vote, finishing second overall.

The Golden Tornadoes played two matches last semester, opening with a loss at Penn State Altoona before earning an impressive 5-2 victory over PAC-opponent Westminster in a non-conference match. Westminster was picked to finish sixth in the preseason poll, one spot of ahead of Geneva.

After leading the women's tennis program to its first playoff berth since 2020 in the fall semester, head coach Nate Heidengren is ready for his first full semester coaching the men. Leading the charge for his team will be senior Braiden Smalley, who has been a First Team All-PAC player since arriving on campus as a freshman. He will once again take the top singles spot in his final season with the program.

Joining Smalley is one other senior, Owen Landis, who is back with the team after taking last season off. Landis spent the majority of the 2024 season at No. 2 doubles and No. 4 singles and looks to be a key contributor for the Golden Tornadoes again this spring.

Juniors Thayne Bodenmiller and Ethan Mullen will also see regular court time after providing solid play last year. Joining them in the rotation is sophomore Ben Busler, who returns after a 2025 season in which he received First Team All-PAC recognition for his doubles play and Honorable Mention All-PAC honors for singles as a freshman.

Coach Heidengren has brought in four freshmen who will push for a spot in the top six this season.

Geneva's opening match of the spring will be at home on March 17^th, a PAC tilt against W&J at 6:00 p.m.

Through purposeful learning in a community reflecting the full spectrum of God's kingdom, a Geneva College experience inspires students to discover a faith-life calling in service to God and neighbor. Offering 195+ traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality and affordability. Geneva was founded and is governed by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) and is a founding member of both the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and the International Association for Christian Education (IACE).