This past season, Dale accumulated an unblemished 11-0 singles record, competing mostly in fourth through sixth singles. Chris also accrued a 14-2 doubles record, including an 8-4 win at #3 doubles in the national championship match versus Emory.

In the Fall, Chris reached the semifinals on the Regional ITA after going 3-0 in duel matches, earning him a #15 national ranking.

For the next few weeks, Chris is back in Austin training before beginning the Lord Jeff’s quest for a repeat in 2012.

Below, read a brief interview with Chris as he checks in about this past season and school year, and his expectations going forward.

How did you and the team do this Fall?

After winning the national team championship last year, we started the fall at number one in the country. Fortunately we were able to stay on top by going undefeated in our abbreviated fall season, going 3-0 in dual matches (we played Johns Hopkins, Carnegie Mellon, and MIT). I played well, going undefeated in singles playing at the 4 and 5 spots. In addition, I advanced to the semifinals of our ITA regional, losing to my teammate, and eventual champion, Joey Fritz 7-6 in the third set.



How's everything going with the team?

Everything’s going really well. We are all very close on and off the court, and it’s always a good time. We didn’t lose any singles starters from our team last year, so we should still be in a good place to attempt to defend our title at NCAA’s.



How has your role on the team changed from freshman year to sophomore year?

Going from freshman to sophomore is definitely a transition. You go from being the youngest, basically taking orders from everyone, to being someone who people depend on more. Thus, you transition into more of a leadership role. 



What kinds of things did you learn throughout your freshman year that you didn't know coming in?

Definitely time management skills. In college you have a lot more free time so you need to be more disciplined. Additionally, just learning more about what it means to be part of a team, though ATA prepared me well for this due to the team-like environment that ATA provides.



What are your expectations/goals for the upcoming season?

My number one goal is for Amherst to repeat as national champions. Individually, I would like to contribute by starting in both singles and doubles.



How's school/you're classes going? What are you taking?

I am an Economics and Spanish major so I’ve been taking a lot of courses in these two subjects, which this fall included Macroeconomics, Economics of Corporate Finance, Advanced Spanish Composition, and Golden Age Literature. Outside of major I’ve tried to take varied selection of courses from a diverse array of departments including Math, Physics, and Music. I’ve really enjoyed my classes so far and I have been performing up to ATA standards, which is to say well.