ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College men's tennis team was just beginning the ramp up to the main portion of its competition season when everything came to a sudden halt. The Bombers were navigating a brutal stretch of non-league play when the word came down that the spring schedule would be halted, bringing a swift conclusion to what IC was hoping to be an exciting third season in the Liberty League.
 
The IC men came into the 2019-20 season hoping to build off a strong second season in the Liberty League last spring. The Bombers qualified for the Liberty League Tournament a season ago, a run that would witness Ithaca's first-ever Liberty League Tournament win – a 5-3 triumph over Vassar in the Quarterfinal Round. With several key lineup mainstays returning this season, headlined by a large senior class, hopes were high that IC could take the next step into the upper echelon of the loaded Liberty League this season.
 
The spring featured an extremely challenging early-season slate. The non-league schedule included during the first three weeks of the spring included several regional and nationally-ranked opponents, which contributed to IC's slow start in the dual match schedule. However, Ithaca looked to be turning a corner when it secured its first win of the season in thrilling comeback fashion 5-4 over Dickinson College during the team's Spring Break at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida. Sadly, the Bombers never had the chance to see if that win was going to serve as the spark to turn around the year, as spring competition was suspended just 24-hours later.
 
Although the NCAA has recently announced a blanket waiver granting an extra year of athletic eligibility for all student-athletes competing in their primary season in the spring, the reality – especially at the Division III level – is that many seniors did not have the chance for the final send off they so richly deserved after years of hard work and sacrifice. The IC tennis programs held an impromptu intersquad Senior Day celebration during the team's final day at the USTA National Campus on March 13; however, that win over Dickinson amounted to the final time that Ithaca's five seniors had the opportunity to take the court as IC student-athletes. The latest in our senior spotlight pieces would like to give special recognition to this senior class and the dedication it has given to the program.
 
Head Coach Bill Austin begins our segment with a heartfelt message to this senior group.
 
"In the face of extraordinary circumstances, this senior class brought out the best in themselves and the best in their teammates, and never wavered off the commitment of our team first mentality," Austin said. "They worked each day to be a little better than the day before, improving their skills on court, and instilling a sense of family off court. Our spring break trip became something much more, as we all thought we had more time: time to keep improving; time to compete; time to be together as a team; time to put finishing touches on memories and friendships that last a lifetime. Their invaluable leadership exemplified what it means to be a Bomber."
 
     
Fried burst onto the scene for the Bombers as a sophomore during the 2017-18 season. As a rookie, Fried made an immediate contribution in the IC lineup, racking up six victories in singles play and adding a 3-1 record in doubles play. Fried was bumped up the lineup his junior year, seeing the majority of his singles action in the fourth and fifth slots. He was able to secure seven total wins a season ago, registering four singles wins and three doubles triumphs.
 
This season featured another bump for the senior, as he moved higher to see action primarily in the third and fourth lineup positions in singles and the second slot in doubles. He was able to secure two singles wins and three doubles triumphs, which included a straight-set sweep of Dickinson's Andrew Lai in the third slot in his final collegiate match.
 
For his career, Fried has 12 singles wins and nine doubles wins.
     
Lavery is one of the most decorated netters to come through the IC program in recent seasons. A three-time honoree on the year-end awards, Lavery has been a major contributor to the Bombers lineup throughout his IC career. Jumping into the lineup in the fourth singles slot as a rookie, Lavery posted an 8-8 record as a rookie. He also marked an 8-8 record in doubles action in helping the team to a second-place finish in the Empire 8. He was named an Empire 8 All-Conference Honorable Mention.
 
Lavery continued to occupy a mid-tier lineup slot in singles during the program's shift to the Liberty League during his sophomore season. While the move led to just five wins in singles, Lavery emerged as a key piece for one of the preeminent doubles tandems in the league in conjunction with his senior teammate Minos Stavrakas. As a duo, the pair posted an 11-7 record, capping the season by being named a Second Team All-Liberty League selection in doubles.
 
Lavery's best season came last year when he racked up new career highs with 13 doubles wins and 10 singles triumphs. Stavrakas and Lavery would repeat as Second Team All-Liberty League Doubles selections.
 
This year featured the seniors greatest challenge yet, as graduation and injury bumped Lavery to the top singles slot for much of the spring. He capped the abbreviated senior campaign with one victory in singles and four additional wins in doubles play.
 
An excellent student, Lavery has been a fixture on the Liberty League All-Academic Team throughout his IC career. He was also honored at Ithaca's annual Scholar Athlete Luncheon in February which annually recognizes IC junior and senior student-athletes who have maintained a 3.75-plus grade-point average.
     
Longenecker has been a part of the tennis program for the past five seasons since arriving on South Hill for the 2015-16 campaign. He began his career with two appearances as a rookie, which included a win in doubles competition.
 
Longenecker made his return to the court this fall, posting a 2-0 record in tournament singles action with wins over Wilkes Jolen Nortey and Stevens' Brian Li.
     
Like many of his classmates, Spiegel made an immediate break into the competition lineup during his debut season in 2016-17. He has remained a key component of Ithaca's doubles lineup throughout his time on South Hill, while he has also been a steady contributor in the lower half of the singles lineup.
 
As a rookie, Spiegel appeared in 10 singles matches and five in doubles. He marked a 5-5 record, which included a 3-0 record in Empire 8 matches. His impact was felt most profoundly when he became a fixture in the doubles lineup as a sophomore during the program's transition to the Liberty League. He racked up nine doubles triumphs on the year, while he also chipped in three singles wins across the fifth and sixth slots. His junior season featured a similar role, as he recorded four singles wins and seven triumphs in doubles in the third position.
 
Like his teammate Lavery, Spiegel was thrust into a top-half lineup role this spring due to the attrition from last season. He was able to record one singles win and two doubles triumphs during the abbreviated campaign.
 
An excellent student, Spiegel has been named on the Liberty League All-Academic Team in each of the past three seasons with the program.
     
Stavrakas was a fixture at the top of Ithaca's lineup card in both singles and doubles since his arrival in the fall of 2016. Since that point, Stavrakas put together one of the most successful careers in program history, which included seven individual year-end commendations during his time on South Hill.
 
Stavrakas began his career with a bang during his rookie spring, posting an 18-5 record in singles play that stands out as one of the best debut seasons in IC history. The impact wasn't limited to singles, as he also formed a duo with 2019-graduate Michael Gardiner with the pair accounting for 14 doubles wins. Stavrakas was named Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, while he also garnered First Team praise in singles and Second Team honors in doubles.
 
The shift to the rigors of the Liberty League did little to slow down Stavrakas' momentum, as he quickly entrenched himself among the league's top players. He racked up a 15-6 record in singles, en route to earning First Team All-Liberty League honors. He also posted a 10-9 record, primarily pairing with his teammate Lavery, to earn Second Team All-Liberty League in doubles.
 
His junior season featured another 15-win campaign for the talented Greek International. He went on to repeat as an All-Liberty League First Teamer, while he improved his doubles win total to 12 to again join Lavery as a Second Team honoree.
 
Unfortunately, injury kept Stavrakas out of the lineup for the spring portion of his senior campaign; however, he was able to put together a 3-2 singles record and 2-2 doubles mark during the fall. For his career, Stavrakas ranks 10^th on the program's all-time singles wins list with 51 career victories, while he would have had a strong chance at chasing down a Top-10 position in doubles wins with a full spring season of play.