Salomon Burst On To The Scene For The Navy Tennis Program

5/22/2001 - Men's Tennis
Salomon Burst On To The Scene For The Navy Tennis Program

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As Navy tennis coach John Officer scanned the courts at the first team practice of the 2000-01 season, he saw a completely different squad from the one that had advanced to the finals of the 2000 Patriot League Tournament the previous May. Gone from last year's team were all six starters, including all-league honorees Mitchell Koch, Jim McHugh and Joe McCauley. But instead of being discouraged by the players who weren't here, Officer was excited about the players he did see on that autumn day.

"This is a team hungry to get better," said Officer. "These players may not have seen a lot of court time in their careers, but I see a big upside to that. "It's fun to see players take advantage of the opportunities ahead of them and to see them rewarded for their efforts."

While Officer was referring to the entire team with his quote, it was also a perfect description of Ben Salomon.

During his first three seasons at the Academy, Salomon found himself on talented teams and playing behind such standouts as Koch, Silas Bouyer and Dan Stahlschmidt. As a result, Salomon entered his senior season with just 39 career singles matches under his belt, with the majority of his matches coming at No. 6 singles.

As he prepared for his final season at Navy, Salomon was determined he would find a regular spot in the lineup.

"While I was always disappointed I wasn't playing much during my first three years, I knew there were some talented players ahead of me," said Salomon. "I worked real hard this past summer because I wanted to find a spot for myself somewhere in the lineup. I was hoping to play around No. 3."

Once the season began, Salomon did indeed find a spot in the lineup for himself, but instead of playing No. 3, he was playing No. 1.

"Ben was called on to play No. 1 singles for us and he did a great job adjusting to the rigors of playing at the top of the lineup," said Officer. "He is very bright and used his intelligence to his advantage in many matches.

"It is very rare in today's athletic world where recruiting is at more of a premium than ever for an athlete to make the kind of jump Ben did."

Salomon quickly showed he belonged at the top of the lineup by winning the No. 1 singles title at the Patriot League Fall Invitational. He continued his strong play in the spring, winning nine of 10 matches in February and early March.

At the end of the season, Navy was seeded second at the Patriot League Tournament and advanced to the championship match for the seventh-straight season. Salomon was at the top of his game that weekend, winning his quarterfinal and semifinal matches and leading in his championship match before it was called.

Salomon, who had 28 career victories as the season began, finished his senior year with 26 wins and garnered All-Patriot League honors.

"Ben had to wait his turn, but the wait paid off as he had a great senior year," said Officer.

In addition to making a successful jump to playing No. 1 singles, Salomon also proved to be an effective team captain for a very young team.

"Ben was an excellent captain for us," said Officer. "Off the court, he went through four years at the Academy with zero demerits and a 3.63 grade-point average in mechanical engineering. On the court, one of his strongest attributes was his will to win. He doesn't like to lose at anything, including any little game we play in practice.

"In addition, Ben just loves to play tennis. That passion for the game rubbed off on the other players. He set a great example in everything he did for the younger players."

"I learned a lot from the captains I had in my first three years," said Salomon. "I learned from their past successes and mistakes. I believe that this year's team performed incredibly well in what was a rebuilding season. We surprised a lot of teams this season and I feel Navy will be very competitive on the national level over the next few years."

Sitting in Ricketts Hall just days before he was to graduate from the Academy, Salomon quickly points to his victory in November's Patriot League Fall Invitational as the high point of his season. What made his victory even more special was that it was the first match since high school that his parents were able to make the drive from Michigan to see him play. It was fitting that his family was present that weekend, as he credits them with much of his success, especially his brother and mother.

"Practice at Navy was never as intense as when I played my brother, Nic. I had a lot of success in close matches over my career (14-5 record in career three-set matches) because I learned how to practice with intensity on every point when we played each other. Neither of us wanted to lose a point to the other, even in practice."

His mom, Janet Lynn Salomon, won five-straight U.S. national figure skating titles from 1969-73, brought home a bronze medal from the 1972 Olympics and was a silver medalist at the 1973 World Championship.

"When tennis and school were tough, she inspired me to work hard and persevere, and that has made my success this season even more rewarding."