M. Tennis prepares to host four other Ivies

While thousands of parents stream into University City on Friday for Penn's annual Parents Weekend, the Quakers men's tennis team will be hosting its own annual tradition -- the Penn Conference Classic. Started nine years ago by former Quakers coach Gene Miller, this year's Classic pits the Red and Blue against four other Ivy League schools -- Princeton, Cornell, Dartmouth and Columbia -- as well as players from Ohio State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Penn State and Virginia. Though the Quakers are far into their fall season, this weekend marks the first time Penn will have the home-court advantage. After weeks of traveling to other schools for tournaments, the Quakers are happy to stay home. "We're finally at home after being away for the past four tournaments," sophomore Brian Barki said. "That gets kind of tiring. Playing in front of a home crowd should help out a lot." And the crowd should be larger than usual. The tournament, which will run Friday through Sunday, coincides exactly with the upcoming Parents Weekend. That means that many of the players' parents will be there to cheer them on to victory. "I'm very excited that my parents are coming," freshman Ryan Harwood said. "They were very involved in my junior career and always came to watch me, so it's going to be very nostalgic. While some of the Quakers are used to having their parents watch them on the court, for sophomore Jared Corby the experience will be a new one. Corby, a former Penn football player, resumed playing tennis only this year after a layoff of over five years to concentrate on football. This weekend, his father will be on the sidelines watching him play. "It's going to be really exciting to have my father there," Corby said. "He's never seen me play tennis before, so it should be exciting, not only for me, but for him as well." Some of the Quakers are looking forward to seeing their relatives cheer, while others will be pumped to be able to showcase their talent in front of fellow Penn students. "I'm going to drag my friends out this weekend," freshman Andy Kolker said. "If they're lucky, I might even bribe them with Leslie Nielson tickets." While some students might need bribery to get them to show up, tennis enthusiasts will not. "One of the things that make this tournament exciting is that usually the guys who win this tournament are the ones who do well in college tennis and go on to play pro," Penn coach Gordie Ernst said. History backs Ernst's statement. Several players who have done well at the Classic in the past are currently on the pro circuit. The Quakers this year, though, have more to be proud of than just hosting a nationally recognized tournament, as one of their own -- Frantisek Stejskal -- will be among the top-seeded players. "It's the first time a Penn guy has been ranked in this tournament for years, if ever," Ernst said. "Because of his recent wins, he'll probably be seeded No. 2." While Stejskal may sit atop the rankings, other Quakers are looking to this weekend as the perfect time for some breakthrough performances. "In singles I've been waiting for my game to come out of its shell. This fall has been slow for me," Penn co-captain Brett Meringoff said. "I'm still waiting to hit the top of my game and I think this tournament is the place to do it." Another Quaker who has had a tough season, Rob Pringle -- who doubles as a Daily Pennsylvanian photographer -- echoed Meringoff's sentiments. "I'm looking forward to finally winning some matches this weekend," Pringle said. "If I don't start to win I'm going to break all my rackets and burn my uniform. Maybe that would help me start fresh." While a racket bonfire might seem a little extreme, the Quakers are hoping to make a statement this weekend with some big wins.