CMC75 Moments: 1976 Men's Tennis Upsets Redlands for First SCIAC Title in 13 Years
As part of the buildup to the 75th Anniversary celebration for Claremont McKenna College (visit CMC's 75th Anniversary Countdown Page to learn more), we are reliving many of the great moments from CMS athletic department history over the 75-day countdown from April 17 to July 1. If you were a part of this great moment and would like to add to the memories, or if you would like to submit your memories of your own favorite CMS Athletics moment, fill out the form on our main 75th Anniversary page.
Great Moments from 75 Years of Athletics
1976 Men's Tennis: Stags Take SCIAC, Blomberg Wins National Title
The year-by-year list of SCIAC results for the CMS men's tennis program has one "tied for 1st" listed in 1976, sandwiched between 17 second-place finishes (eight straight from 1968-75, and nine straight from 1977-85). The Redlands year-by-year results, meanwhile, lists 21 different undefeated seasons in SCIAC matches from 1964-1985, sandwiched around one 11-1 season in 1976.
The story behind those bumps in an otherwise consistent stream of data stems from the 1976 regular season finale. Redlands had a SCIAC winning streak of 143 consecutive matches dating back to 1963 (the year of the last title for Claremont-Mudd) as it faced the Stags, looking to cap off yet another undefeated league title. Claremont-Mudd, which had lost to Redlands 6-2 earlier that year, played a brilliant match, though, emerging with a 5-4 win to snap the Bulldogs' enormous league win streak that lasted for 13 years, and earn a share of the SCIAC title. Steve Mihaly provided the clincher with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 win in singles, after also winning his doubles match with Rich Dorman (6-3, 7-6), while Chris Romney won his singles match in a second-set tiebreaker 6-3, 7-6 and John Blomberg won his 6-4, 6-2. Dan Finkelstein and Jeff Nelson won their doubles match in three sets, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3.
The Stags kept the momentum going after the win, finishing second in the NCAA Division III Championships to Kalamazoo, while Blomberg would win the first-ever NCAA Division III National Singles title, becoming the first Stag to achieve that feat (he would later be joined by five others, including newcomer A.J. Shaka the next year in 1977, as the Stags earned the first two NCAA Division III singles championships).
Redlands, meanwhile, would rattle off nine more 12-0 SCIAC seasons from 1977-1985, which would have put their league winning streak at over 250 matches, were it not for that one day in 1976 when the Stags came through with a big upset win and the program's second SCIAC title.
In addition to his singles title, Blomberg also teamed with Romney for an NCAA doubles semifinals appearance for All-America honors, while Rich Dorman and Steve Mihaly were All-District selections.
Dan Finkelstein:
As the event that is being highlighted was many years ago, my memories may be a little inaccurate, but I do have a few recollections. I was a senior at the time and I had been involved in seven losses to Redlands prior to the victory in 1976. I remember that the match would have been over sooner but I choked my singles match and lost in three sets, after having several match points. I usually played doubles with Greg Moneta but was partnered with Jeff Nelson for the Redlands match, which I believe we won in three sets.
Rich Dorman:
I do not really have any memories of that particular match except that Redlands was very much disliked as a tennis team, mostly because they were always better than us. Their players, we thought, were athletes first, and scholars next, just the opposite of us, of course (ha), and they looked down at us athletically, which made any victory over them that much sweeter. I do not recall whether I won my singles or doubles match that day, although I have no doubt, if I did contribute something, it was in doubles, with the help of my hard-serving doubles partner, Steve Mihaly (editors note: Mihaly and Dorman did win in doubles).
What I do remember vividly are more big picture items of the tennis team. There was a snake that was drawn on the trash can next to the courts. Dan's nickname was The Snake (not sure how he got it), and the trash can was Dan's special stress reliever. Greg is a good friend of a good friend of mine, Bruce Norman, who also played on the tennis team, having graduated before I arrived (I met Bruce at an alumni tennis match). If I remember clearly Greg was a fine student, pre-med possibly. He ran in different academic circles than I did.
John Blomberg was a hard-serving, left-handed, fun-loving, Swede. I met John when I came out to CMC my senior year in high school, on what I like to think was a recruiting trip. Chris Romney, who played No. 2 singles that year, came from the Pacific Northwest, where I believe he was ranked No. 2 in the juniors. He, too, had a great tennis game, and the deepest baritone voice you ever want to hear from a guy under six feet. Jeff Nelson was an all-around good guy, and smart, too.
Greg Moneta:
What I remember is we all disliked Redlands, despite Dan's brother attending college there. I do remember that we won, but I cannot remember whether I was part of the five wins or four losses that day. Probably the latter as I was never a real tennis player and really just made varsity every year after spending the fall in the pool playing polo and not on the courts playing tennis. Each year guys like Rich and Chris would show up and be ahead of me on the ladder but never enough of them at one time to push me off the team. Appropriately, I suppose, (former coach) Ted Ducey told me "Moneta, you are not a tennis player, you are an athlete who happens to play tennis." Never forgot that!
I believe Dan's nickname came from our freshman or sophomore year traveling to Kansas City by van to play in the Division III nationals, and has to do with a wishing well outside a diner somewhere in New Mexico not filled with pennies but with snakes. The 6'7'', 6'5", 6'4" and two 6'3" guys on the team at that time wanted to introduce Dan to the snakes after they noticed him avoiding looking down the well. Dan did not like snakes. Needless to say the introductory "offer" was not well received and his response led to the nickname.
1976 Men's Tennis Roster
Head Coach: Hank Krieger
John Blomberg (CMC)
Rich Dorman (CMC)
Dan Finkelstein (CMC)
Steve Mihaly (CMC)
Greg Moneta (CMC)
Jeff Nelson (CMC)
Chris Romney (CMC)