Boys’ Tennis

MAPL CHAMPS

2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2024

NJ PREP A CHAMPIONS

2011

For nearly a century, Blair has maintained a rich tradition in boys’ tennis, fielding competitive teams and producing scores of fine players, many of whom have gone on to have successful careers at the collegiate level.

From the unbeaten 1930 team that scored shutout victories over the Princeton freshmen and Lawrenceville, to Frank Hammond, who starred at Yale and who went on to become a legendary tennis chair umpire whose fiery presence made the great matches between Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe all the more memorable, to the unbeaten 2010 and 2011 teams that captured back-to-back Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) and state championships, Blair tennis is alive and well!

Blair Graduates Who Have Played College Tennis

• Rashad Shelton '09 - West Point
• Cole Agin '10 - Dickinson College
• Noah Joachim '11 - Johns Hopkins
• Musyoka Mbithi '11 - Trinity College
• Dragos Ignat '12 - Columbia University
• Chris Sabaitis '12 - Columbia University
• Sam Loring '14 - Dickinson College

View more recent photos Blair's Photoshelter or past seasons (2004-2018) on Blair's Flickr.

Meet Coach Gerdsen

Since joining Blair's faculty in 2004, Rod Gerdsen has served in a wide variety of roles, including science teacher, academic dean for the junior class and new international students, Director of Annual Giving, admission associate, and, most recently, Associate Dean of Students. A true lover of all racket sports, Rod played both tennis and squash at Colby College and has been coaching tennis for nearly 20 years. Rod remains active as a player and looks forward to getting out of his office in the springtime to be on the courts with the team.

Rod currently lives in Insley Hall with his wife, Cassi, and their children, Kate ’20 and Jack ’24. As dorm heads, Rod and Cassi are charged with overseeing the health and well-being of 38 9th- and 10th-grade boys, a challenge they have taken on before when they ran East Hall for 11 years, a dorm of 60 sophomore and junior boys.

Contact Coach Gerdsen at gerdsr@blair.edu with any questions about the tennis program.

View directions to athletic events. To read recaps about past events, go to the "Team News" tab above.

The Blair boys’ varsity tennis team annually heads to Florida for one week during spring break to prepare for its upcoming season.

Most recently, the Bucs have trained at the world-renowned Saddlebrook Resort just outside of Tampa. The Harry Hopman program at Saddlebrook has prepared pros such as Pete Sampras, Jim Courier, Martina Hingis and James Blake for professional careers in tennis and serves as the primary training site for current stars such as John Isner and the Bryan brothers.

During preseason training, the team does its best to play a few matches while in Florida. In the past, prep powers Ransom Everglades and Gulliver Prep in Miami have helped to get players "match ready" for an equally challenging spring schedule up north.

Established at Blair Academy in 1997 and moved in 2006 to The McDonogh School in Baltimore, Maryland, the New England/Mid-Atlantic Tennis Tournament (NEMA) is one of the premier boys’ tennis tournaments in the East.

Each year, 16 teams from as far away as Ohio, Massachusetts and Virginia converge to compete during this two-day tournament. The NEMA is a great way for our athletes to compete against some outstanding players from other parts of the country.

The Blair Tennis Center includes 10 Deco Turf II courts, five of which are lighted, and the Sloane Tennis House, which boasts locker rooms and a second-floor balcony overlooking the courts.

This beautiful facility ranks as one of the finest tennis facilities in the Northeast.

Blair Academy is a proud member of the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL), a conference committed to providing the very best of athletic competition and adhering to the highest standards of sportsmanship.

Along with Peddie, Hun and Lawrenceville from New Jersey, in addition to Pennsylvania schools Mercersburg and Hill, the MAPL is regarded as one of the most competitive athletic conferences in the country, and tennis is no exception.

For nearly a century, Blair has maintained a rich tradition in boys’ tennis, fielding competitive teams and producing scores of fine players, many of whom have gone on to have successful careers at the collegiate level.

From the unbeaten 1930 team that scored shutout victories over the Princeton freshmen and Lawrenceville, to Frank Hammond, who starred at Yale and who went on to become a legendary tennis chair umpire whose fiery presence made the great matches between Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe all the more memorable, to the unbeaten 2010 and 2011 teams that captured back-to-back Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) and state championships, Blair tennis is alive and well!

About Coach Clairmont

Paul (Chadd) Clairmont ’09 became the new head varsity girls' tennis coach, and head JV boys' tennis coach in 2022. Appointed to Blair’s faculty in 2020, he earned bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and computer science at Rollins College in 2014. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree in secondary school mathematics education at Columbia University’s Teachers College. An experienced programmer, he has worked as a web developer and a coding instructor for elementary-age children. Chadd’s athletic interests include golf, soccer and tennis. He teaches algebra 2 and statistics at Blair and resides in Paul House.

View directions to athletic events.

View photos from the past few seasons on Blair's Photoshelter or past years on Blair's Flickr.

The Blair Tennis Center includes 10 Deco Turf II courts, five of which are lighted, and the Sloane Tennis House, which boasts locker rooms and a second-floor balcony overlooking the courts.

This beautiful facility ranks as one of the finest tennis facilities in the Northeast.