Shoremen's Cranford Upends Nation's 4th-Ranked Singles Player at No. 1

NEWPORT NEWS, VA -- Host Christopher Newport, ranked in a tie for 30th in Division III and eighth in the Atlantic South region, posted a 7-2 win over visiting Washington College, the region's 12th-ranked team, in a non-conference men's tennis match this afternoon in Newport News, VA. 

Despite the team loss, Washington senior Adam Cranford (Bel Air, MD/John Carroll) rallied for a win over the nation's fourth-ranked singles player at No. 1. Cranford bested Eric Shulman, who is also ranked second in the region, 0-6, 7-5, 6-2. Cranford also won at No. 3 doubles with freshman Marc Cywinski (Brisbane, Australia/Pendleton [FL]) as the tandem beat Gianandrea Heyer and Josef Manilla, 8-6. 

Elsewhere in doubles, the Captains' Matthew King and Garret Widing beat  junior Kyle Lisco (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North) and senior Kristian Wilson (Germantown, PA/home school), 8-3, at No. 1, while Shulman and Dusty Nelson defeated juniors Kevin Papen (Dover, DE/Caesar Rodney) and Aaron Ellison (Largo, FL/St. Petersburg), 8-6, at No. 2.

In singles, Heyer, who is ranked 22nd in the nation and fifth in the region, defeated Papen, 7-5, 6-1, at No. 2, while Widing defeated Ellison, 6-4, 6-3, at No. 3 and King downed Lisco, 6-2, 6-3, at No. 4. Manilla topped  freshman Joel Novick (Cape May Court House, NJ/Middle Township), 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, at No. 5 and Lorenzo Sison downed junior John Menzione (Chadds Ford, PA/Kennett), 6-2, 6-3, at No. 6. 

The Shoremen (2-2) return to action Saturday with their Centennial Conference and home opener, a 1:00 p.m. match against McDaniel.