Final Stats

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Blake Daniel (Sr., Overland Park, Kan.) and Calvin Mark (Sr., Union City, Calif.) teamed for a doubles win and posted straight-set singles victories to help the Navy men's tennis team record a 5-2 victory over George Mason Sunday afternoon at the Tose Family Tennis Center in Annapolis.

The doubles point between the Mids (10-2) and the Patriots (2-4) came down to the third and final match to be completed. Daniel and Mark combined for a 6-2 win at No. 1 doubles over Joe Hill and James Lange, but Mason's No. 3 tandem of Nick Barker and Aaron Capitel tallied a 6-4 victory over Andrey Majkic (Fr., Jacksonville, Fla.) and Tyler Tossavainen (So., Fleming Island, Fla.) to even the score at one match apiece.

"Doubles was a really good match for us," said Daniel. "Calvin and I have been having a really good year (9-1), especially at home."

The Patriots would earn the doubles point when their No. 2 team of Tanner Baine and Daneil Gutierrez posted a 6-4 win over Thomas Pecor (So., Houston, Texas) and Aries Wong (Fr., Bethesda, Md.).

"I thought Mason did a great job to secure the doubles point," said Navy head coach Chris Garner. "They had a lot of momentum heading into singles."

Mark tied the proceedings at 1-1 when he defeated Lange by the score of 6-4, 6-1 at No. 1 singles, then Walker Sims (Fr., Memphis, Tenn.) placed Navy into the lead when he tallied a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Conor Moran at No. 4 singles. The score would again be tied at 2-2 after Gutierrez defeated Tyler Burnett (Sr., Fayetteville, Ga.) by the count of 6-1, 7-5 at No. 6 singles.

Daniel returned the lead to Navy with his 6-3, 6-3 victory over Capitel at No. 2 singles, then Pecor won a 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 decision at the No. 3 flight to secure the overall win for the Mids.

"In singles," said Daniel, "I've had a little but of a down streak and have been coming off some losses, but it was nice to come back here against a George Mason team that is comparable to us and always gives us a tough match, and be able to get a win myself and with the team."

"Cal at one, Blake at two and Walker at four had quick starts (in singles) and that evened the momentum of the match," said Garner. "From there it could have gone either way, some good things happened to us and we are walking out of here with a win."

Wong closed out the afternoon with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 win over Baine at No. 5 singles.

Navy's lone two losses in its 12 matches this year and have come to Old Dominion and UNC Wilmington, two teams that are in the latest national rankings.

"Hard work," is what Daniel credits the strong start by the team this season. "Everyone is buying in this year and working hard and working toward a common goal. This is the by far the most cohesive team I have been part of and it has been an absolute pleasure for my senior year.

"We want to keep improving every day. We have certain things we need to keep working on to put us at that next level, maybe a ranked team level, so we have to work every week and take something from every match whether it goes poorly or goes well so we can keep improving."

"Blake is our captain and that says it all," said Garner. "He is very well respected within the team. I think when you have such a strong peer group with our seniors, it can really set what the culture of our program will be. Obviously it is important to them and so it will be important to the rest of the guys. I can't say enough about Blake and our senior class how they are able to show the younger guys what it means to be part of not only the Naval Academy by also Navy tennis."

Navy will play again one week from today, March 1, at UMBC.

Navy (10-2) def. George Mason (2-4), 5-2
Doubles (1-3-2) - George Mason wins the doubles point
1. Daniel, Blake / Mark, Calvin (NAVY) def. Joe Hill / James Lange (MASON) 6-2
2. Tanner Baine / Daneil Gutierrez (MASON) def. Pecor, Thomas / Wong, Aries (NAVY) 6-4
3. Nick Barker / Aaron Capitel (MASON) def. Majkic, Andrey / Tossavainen, Tyler (NAVY) 6-4
Singles (1-4-6-2-3-5)
1. Mark, Calvin (NAVY) def. James Lange (MASON) 6-4, 6-1
2. Daniel, Blake (NAVY) def. Aaron Capitel (MASON) 6-3, 6-2
3. Pecor, Thomas (NAVY) def. Joe Hill (MASON) 7-6 (7-3), 6-4
4. Sims, Walker (NAVY) def. Conor Moran (MASON) 6-2, 6-4
5. Wong, Aries (NAVY) def. Tanner Baine (MASON) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
6. Daneil Gutierrez (MASON) def. Burnett, Tyler (NAVY) 6-1, 7-5