Men's Tennis | 4/29/2016 3:04:00 PM

ITHACA, N.Y. — Growing up in suburban Rochester, N.Y., Ithaca College senior Chris Hayes was surrounded by the game of tennis.
 
Both of his parents actively played tennis, as did his brother and his grandfather, so it was only natural for Hayes to be drawn to the sport, and he immediately fell in love with the game.
 
Hayes earned accolades while playing tennis for Brighton High School, garnering All-Monroe County honors before enrolling at Ithaca for the fall of 2012.
 
Fast-forward four years and Hayes has etched his name into the Ithaca College record book as the ninth-winningest tennis player in program history.
 
Hayes earned his 100th career victory during a 9-0 home win over Hartwick College April 20 on the Wheeler Tennis Courts. He posted a 6-1, 6-0 win at first singles and teamed with junior Wes Davis on an 8-0 win at first doubles to reach 100 career wins.
 
After earning convincing wins at both first singles and first doubles in a 7-2 road win over Hamilton College April 23, Hayes improved his career win total to 102, good for ninth place in Bomber history.
 
"Getting to 100 wins was one of my main goals in the spring so it was a really special moment for me," said Hayes, a sport media major and four-year member of the team.
 
"A lot of great players have come through here and hit that mark so it's a real honor to be among them. I'm also really happy to have shared the moment with my family and teammates. Those are some of the most important people in my life and it meant a lot to me that they got to see it, too."
 
Hayes, who has earned first-team All-Empire 8 honors at both singles and doubles every year at Ithaca (10-5, 6-1 Empire 8) will be honored before Sunday's Senior Day match against Connecticut College on the Wheeler Tennis Courts.
 
While Hayes said he is always working on his game and trying to fine-tune the different aspects of his game, he said the biggest reason for his on-court success came during the spring of his junior year.
 
Working with then-assistant coach Rich Bonfiglio, Hayes worked extensively on his conditioning and his fitness, and saw immediate returns. Hayes' solid play helped guide the Bombers to a 10-8-1 record (7-1 Empire 8) while posting a 12-5 mark in singles play.
 
That hard work and determination to improve carried over to this year, where Hayes has the Bombers in position to make a deep run in the Empire 8 tournament.
 
"My game has definitely improved drastically since freshman year. I think I have improved in every aspect of the game since I arrived," said Hayes, who grew up admiring James Blake as his favorite tennis player.
 
"That work led to what has been my best season in my career this year. Head coach Bill Austin and assistant coach Jordon Smith have really made me into a more complete player and I have a lot more experience as well. I've also become a lot more mature on court. I used to have a bad attitude and it would affect my play. Now that I'm older, I still maintain that intensity, but not to the point where it hurts my game."
 
Utilizing his forehand more as a potent weapon while developing a solid and consistent backhand, Hayes has evolved into a potent and well-balanced threat on the court. He has become more effective with his service game, and his volleying ability has improved, too.
 
"Working harder off the court has propelled me to a new level that I wasn't sure I would ever reach," Hayes said. "I'm the kind of player that puts his heart and soul into every point. I play every point like it is match point. I have to bring maximum effort every point or I won't be effective. In terms of game style, I'm pretty much a counter puncher. I like to turn defense into offense. It works really well in singles because of my new fitness level."
 
Ithaca currently sits half a game behind Stevens Institute of Technology (14-7, 6-0) for first place in the conference. The Bombers close out the conference portion of the regular season at 12 p.m. Saturday, hosting Elmira College before Sunday's Senior Day clash with Connecticut College.
 
The Bombers have secured a berth in the Empire 8 postseason tournament, which runs May 7-8 at Stevens in Hoboken, N.J. Ithaca has advanced to the Empire 8 championship match in each of the last 13 seasons, with the Bombers emerging with five league championships during that span.
 
Hayes admits that as much as he has enjoyed his individual successes, including becoming just the 10th player in school history with 100 career wins, there is one more goal he would like to accomplish: winning an Empire 8 championship.
 
"This is a very quality team, but it is going to be tough," to win the Empire 8 tournament, Hayes said.
 
"We have been working hard and hopefully we can make that next step and take home the title this year. That's been my ultimate goal these last four years and it would be the best moment in my career if we took home the title." 
 
Hayes said he will always cherish the time spent with his teammates, who have become like brothers to him during his career on South Hill.
 
"It always feel special to put on the jersey with the Ithaca shield on it because I know I'm playing for so much more than myself. I'm playing for a group of brothers, my coaches, my friends, and the entire Ithaca community," Hayes said. "The sport has given me so much joy these last four years. It's the relationships with these guys that has made my experience at Ithaca here some of the best years of my life."

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