The 2023-24 Hillsdale College men's tennis season was the final campaign for one of the most decorated senior classes in program history, one that included two of the three all-time winningest players in Chargers men's tennis history.
And it was a fitting campaign to close on for the Chargers, who finished with a winning record for the seventh time in eight years, and made their sixth-straight G-MAC tournament semifinal appearance.
The Chargers had another strong conference record, going 5-3 in G-MAC play to earn the fourth seed in the G-MAC Tournament at the end of April, then crushed fifth-seeded Northwood by a decisive 4-0 margin in the quarterfinal match.
Facing off against top-seeded Tiffin, the two-time defending G-MAC champion, in the semifinal round, Hillsdale pushed the Dragons to the limit and nearly pulled a shocking upset. The Chargers ended up bowing out in a 4-2 loss, but the swing of two tiebreaks in the doubles portion combined with just one of two tight matches at No. 4 and No. 6 singles going their way would have swung the match in Hillsdale's favor, a sign that the Chargers aren't far behind the best teams in the G-MAC and the Midwest region.
Hillsdale's senior class led the way for the Chargers all season long. Three veterans who spent their entire careers in Hillsdale's singles and doubles lineups, both Tyler Conrad and Sean Barstow were the program's first four-time All-Conference honorees, with Conrad receiving four first-team All-G-MAC honors, while Daniel Gilbert won the clinching point in Hillsdale's 2021 G-MAC title and had been a mainstay in the lineup as well.
In 2023-24, Conrad overtook Charlie Adams, who played at Hillsdale from 2016 to 2020, to become Hillsdale's all-time winningest men's tennis player. Conrad finished his career with 126 victories, just ahead of Adams' 121. Close behind him was Barstow, who finished his career with 117 wins, good for third all-time at Hillsdale College. Gilbert also cracked the top 10 for the Chargers, finishing eighth all-time with 94 wins at Hillsdale.
All three players leave a stellar legacy and will be missed, but the Chargers will return some exciting players for future years as well. Sophomore Aidan Pack ascended to the No. 1 singles spot almost immediately this season and had a strong campaign, earning first-team All-G-MAC honors for his play, and will be the linchpin of Hillsdale's lineup for the next two seasons. Hillsdale also return four freshmen who gained valuable experience this season, including two, Ellis Klanduch and Henry Hammond, who spent the entire year playing in Hillsdale's singles and doubles lineups.
With a large freshman class of five players joining the team next season, Hillsdale will be a young squad on the court, but talented, and with a chance to build over two seasons into a real contender again for conference and regional trophies.