<r Day for the Carleton men’s Tennis team, the Knights defeated Macalester College 8-1, in what would be the final regular season home match for their four seniors, Mark Conrad, Ezra Frankel, Patton McClelland and Christian Purnell. However, this day would be a particularly special day for Patton McClelland.
After the match, McClelland was carried off the courts on his teammates shoulders. His accomplishment? McClelland had clinched his 64th career singles victory by a score of 6-0, 6-1 at No. 4 singles. This victory propelled McClelland into sole possession of first place on the Carleton College Men’s Tennis all-time singles wins list. A day later, McClelland helped the team clinch the No. 2 seed in the MIAC Playoffs against St. Thomas, winning 6-2, 7-5 at No. 5 Singles. He is the current team leader with an all time collegiate record of 66-21 (0.759).
In the news release about Macalester, Head Coach Stephan Zweifel, tabbed the MIAC Coach of the Year, said, “Patton’s record breaking accomplishment is a testament to his commitment to improving his game, his dedication to fitness, and his lucky teal-colored hat. The tennis program is indebted to the ‘General’s’ four years of unwavering service.” Zweifel also noted that “Patton is willing to run down more tennis balls in a point than a golden retriever in an afternoon.”
When asked about his record breaking achievement, McClelland responded, “I became aware of it junior year thanks to my old high school coach, but I would not say that I was actively pursuing the title at that point. I just kept on doing what I loved: going out on the court and competing. Stephan casually brought it up in conversation this year, but to me the goal for every match was still the same, to compete and give it my all for the sake of my team and for myself, but now there was a little whisper in the back of my mind that kept on reminding me that with this win, I would be one step closer to breaking the record. So, I kept at it, and eventually, my high school coach’s original predictions came true.”
As for being lifted off the courts on his teammates shoulders, McClelland said, “Being lifted up on the shoulders of my teammates, although artfully orchestrated by the hands of our wanna-be-CAMS-director-instagram-obsessed-coach, was a wonderful feeling, one that I will cherish for the rest of my life.”
McClelland wrapped up a stellar career at Carleton following a 5-4 loss to St. Thomas. During his four years, McClelland has received multiple honors including three All Conference selections, three ITA Scholar-Athlete selections, the MIAC Elite 22 Award, and was just named the 2017 Arthur Ashe Award recipient for his sportsmanship on the court along with his athletic, academic and humanitarian accomplishments.
Asked to reflect on his final season, McClelland responded, “This tennis season was a great one to finish my college tennis career with. Although it would have been nice to have made it to the MIAC finals one last time, it was nice to be able to end the season on our home courts in a nail-biter 5-4 finish. The guys on the team worked incredibly hard this season and were more committed to improving their games on and off the court than any of the teams of my prior years. My favorite part of Carleton tennis was being a part of the team. The guys who make up the men’s tennis team are each unique, but never once have I had doubts about the friendship that we all share.”