Tomas Lejarraga was an important player on the 1997 NCAA Division III National Championship men’s tennis team and later took over the coveted title as the Shoremen’s number one singles player.
As a freshman and sophomore, Tomas played lower in the line-up on an exceptionally deep team, but his time to shine as the team’s top player came in his final two seasons. Tomas did not disappoint, earning All-Centennial Conference first-team honors in both singles and doubles in 1998 and again in 1999. He was the Centennial Conference’s Player of the Year as a senior and went on to earn All-American honors in both singles and doubles that same year, competing in both the NCAA Division III singles and doubles tournaments.
A team captain, Tomas posted a record of 20-8 at No. 1 singles and 21-6 at No. 1 doubles as a senior, playing against many of the nation’s top players. He was also a 1998 Rolex Regional Champion in both singles and doubles.
With Tomas on the team, the Shoremen not only won the 1997 NCAA Division III National Championship, they also won four Centennial Conference Championships – facing little resistance from conference opponents – and competed in the NCAA Division III Tournament three times. In fact, the Shoremen recorded a combined dual match record of 60-13 during Tomas’s four years on the team, losing to Division III opponents just five times over that span.
For his outstanding achievements, Tomas was recognized as the College’s Eldrigde Eliason Award winner for 1999.
Washington College considers it an honor and privilege to induct Tomas Lejarraga into its Athletic Hall of Fame on this 13th day of October, 2012.
