Lake Forest College Sports Information
Contact:  Mike Wajerski, SID

2004 Preview: Defending the Title
  

Head Coach Chris Conger
Kendal Wapotish looks to repeat
last year's performance.
LAKE FOREST, IL - Since only one member of Lake Forest’s 2003 Midwest Conference Championship team was a senior, the Foresters and Head Coach Chris Conger are looking forward to another run at the league title in 2004. “We had a lot of new faces last year and I was very proud of the way everyone came together and excelled as a team,” recalls Conger. “For this program to reach the next level, we must continue to add quality players to our lineup every year.”

With two conference championships and three other appearances in the league’s four-team tournament during Conger’s five years as head coach, achieving a higher level of success is no easy task. The team is 54-21 overall during that span and 15-2 in MWC South Division play.

After claiming the league’s team championship on Friday of the 2003 MWC Championship weekend, the Foresters’ Kendal Wapotish and Emily Bell brought home the title at number three doubles on Saturday and Abbey Jennings, the team’s lone senior, won at number six singles on Sunday. Ten different Foresters have now captured at least one singles or doubles championship over the last five years, the same number as in the program’s previous 19 seasons.

“This team has accomplished some great things in the last few years,” begins Conger, “and that success is as much due to an excellent work ethic and attitude as it is talent.” His statement is especially true of the 2003 squad, who suffered a 7-2 loss to Grinnell and a 5-4 loss to Ripon during the regular season but defeated both teams 5-4 in the MWC Tournament. “The players showed the kind of toughness that has defined our program in recent years,” comments Conger. “We approach each day with great enthusiasm and that makes it fun for everyone. I believe that when you are having fun and working hard, you can achieve great things.”