Kent School - Kent Yearbook (Kent, CT)

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 Loomis inflicted the only defeat at home on the team by winning 6-3. C aptain Humphreys continued his undefeated record by whipping Barnes 6-2, 6-3. Loo-ram, who had been moved up to No. 4, lost a close three-set match. Rankin was the only other singles victor, and Humphrey and Ix oram racked up another win in doubles. The return match with Taft on Fathers’ Weekend showed a great improvement in the team, as they whipped their opponents !)-(). In the singles only Green was forced to three sets. Loo ram, now at No. 3, was especially brilliant in his victory over Captain Geupel of Taft 6-2, 6-1. In the doubles Humphreys and Looram were at peak form in their return match with Phc-nix and Govin. winning 6-2, 6-1. The other two doubles matches were won in straight sets by Rowe and Donahue at No. 2 and Slocum and Skinner at No. 3. The next match was at Lakeville and resulted in a 7-2 victory for Hotchkiss over the Blue and Gray. Humphreys won his fifth straight victory, this time whipping an old rival, Bonnie. Once more Rankin was the only other victor in singles and in the doubles Kent was shut out for the first time. The West Point trip on May 12 resulted in the worst defeat of the year for the team. The score was 7 —lL Humphreys was outstanding as usual, although he was extended to three sets for the first and only time during the year. Gushee was the only loser to win a set in singles. In the doubles, Gushee and Rankin were tied at 6-all against two Plebes when darkness intervened. Snapping back from the West Point THE FIRST TENNIS TEAM Back Row: Manager Reynolds, Rowe, Donahue, Coach Humphreys, Allison. Slocum. Manager Coombs Front Row: Looram, Rankin, Gushee, Captain Humphreys, Green, Dooman, Skinner

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At the annual picnic Jack Fearing was elected as successor to Dave Nadal. Letters were awarded to Captain Nadal, J. B. Fearing, G. Xewland, R. Ncwland. Deatlv, Tookcr, Miller, Poole, Cogan, Lambert, Magnan, Blaxill, Adams, while Myers, Newbery, and Captain Cady of the Second Team received their numerals. 'Phe batting trophy was awarded to Jack Fearing, who compiled an average of .801. THE SEi SON S RECORD Kent 9 South Kent 4 Kent 2 Gunnerv 1 Kent 4 Berkshire 0 Kent 26 South Kent 9 Kent 5 Berkshire 1 Kent 6 Hotchkiss 3 Kent 2 West Point 13 Kent . 1 Taft 4 Kent 3 Pawling 2 Kent 10 Gunnerv 0 Kent 12 Hotchkiss •» On looking at the record of the 1945 Tennis Team, it would seem that the season had only been mediocre. Out of the nine matches played, four were won. However, two outstanding feats were accomplished by this team. First. Captain Brud Humphreys climaxed a brilliant record at Kent by going through nine singles matches undefeated. Second, for the first time in twenty-one years, Choate met defeat at the hands of a Kent tennis team. Hopes for a good record were rather low at the beginning of the season. Of the two lettermen expected to return, only Captain Humphreys remained, as Jim Griffin had gone into the service in February. Green and Doornail had won their numerals last year, but the rest of the squad was made up of members of last year's second team. Fortunately the courts were ready in record time, so that by April 7 the team was having its first practice sessions. The first six for the Cheshire match on April 21 were Humphreys. Green, Gusliee, Dooman. Allison and Rankin. Cheshire did not provide too much opposition for the Blue and Gray, bowing bv a score of 5-1. Rain prevented the playing of the doubles and the finishing of two singles matches, both of which were split. Humphreys, Gusliee, Allison, and Rankin won their singles. 'I’lie team suffered its first defeat when it lost to Taft on an exceptionally windy day at Watertown. 6-3. Humphreys and Green were the lone singles victors, both triumphing in straight sets. Humphreys and Looram won a hard-fought doubles match from Phcnix and Govin 8-6, 5-7. 6-2, for Kent’s only other victory.

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r defeat, tile Blue and Gray accomplished no mean feat when they downed Choate for the first time since 1924. The win was easier than the score indicates, for substitute teams were used in all the doubles matches. Captain Humphreys sparkled in his 7-5, 7-5 triumph over Captain Kempner of Choate. All the other singles matches were won in straight sets except for Rankin's, where the Kent man lost a close three-set contest. The return match with Loomis at Windsor again ended in a loss to the undefeated Loomis team. Humphreys again beat Barnes, and Rankin was once more triumphant in singles. In the doubles Kent showed great improvement, as Humphreys and Looram defeated Barnes and Wilde, and Green and Skinner gained a tie from Shepard and Monger. The Kent pair were ahead in the second set 15-11 when rain forced them to stop. The final match of the season resulted in a victory over Hotchkiss by a score of 5A—3.]. Humphreys, Doornail, Rankin, and Skinner won their singles matches, while Humphreys and Looram defeated Bonnie and Shepard in a hard three-set match. Green and Skinner again tied their opponents as darkness intervened in the third set of their match. The Second Team was undefeated in three matches, defeating South Kent twice and Canterbury once. At the annual picnic at Leonard's Pond, Coach Humphreys awarded TKTs to Green, Gushee, Looram, Dooman, Rankin, Skinner, Allison, Reynolds, and Santee. Captain Humphreys received a K. and Gushee was elected captain for next year. Slocum. Donahue, and Captain Rowe of the Second Team received their numerals. With Gushee. Skinner and Allison as returning lettermen and with most of the Second Team coming back, tennis should have a successful season next year. THE SEASON’S RECORD Kent 5 Cheshire 1 Kent 3 Taft 6 Kent 3 Loomis 6 Kent 9 Taft 0 Kent 2 Hotchkiss 7 Kent H West Point Kent 5 Choate 4 Kent 34 Loomis 5A Kent 5A Hotchkiss 34 CAPTAINS WORTHINGTON, NADAL and HUMPHREYS