(Posted March 13, 2006)

Huntingdon, PA - Juniata College freshman men's tennis player Jonathan Skoner (Central Catholic/Pittsburgh) has been selected as the Commonwealth Conference Men's Tennis Player of the Week for his efforts in helping Juniata to three wins in the opening week of the 2006 season. The Juniata tennis team had one player picked as the Commonwealth Player of the Week in 2005.

Skoner opened his collegiate career in the best possible fashion as he went a perfect 6-0 overall during Juniata's first three matches of 2006. Playing at the number-two singles position he kicked-off his career with a straight-set victory and then earned a pair of hard-fought three-set wins in singles action. Against Eastern University in the season-opener he posted a comfortable 6-1, 6-3 win. Skoner was then forced to rally in a match against Wilkes as he dropped the first set, but he recovered to claim a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory. He then capped the week with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 triumph in a match against Eastern Nazarene.

In doubles action Skoner and teammate Jack Walfish (Spring-Ford/Royersford) earned three victories at the third doubles position. The top challenge came against Wilkes as the duo fought to a challenging 9-7 victory. The pair cruised to an 8-0 win over Eastern in the season opener, and then closed the week with an 8-2 victory against the third doubles team from Eastern Nazarene. The team of Skoner and Walfish were the only one of Juniata's three doubles teams to post an unblemished 3-0 record on the week.

In just his freshman season Skoner is on a pace that could lead him to one of the top seasons in the recent history of the tennis team. His three singles wins already matches the fifth-highest total the Eagles earned last season. The three doubles triumphs is just two shy of Juniata's top doubles team from the 2005 season.

Skoner has helped the Eagles get off to the best start the team has enjoyed since it returned to varsity status in 2002. The Eagles raised their victory total from two to six last season, but with a 3-0 start this year are already halfway to that total this season. The Eagles return to action this Friday when they open conference play with a match against Albright in Huntingdon.

###

Our readers respond...

Be the first to provide a response.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.