Athlete of the Week: Scott Carlton

By Richard Albert

Carlton had envisioned playing for a major college tennis program ever since he first picked up a tennis racquet at age nine and began showing his dominance in tournament matches by the time he was 10. When Yale started knocking at his door, Carlton was more than willing to answer.

Yale's relationship with Carlton during the four-year recruiting process became so strong that he opted to apply early decision to Yale. With this choice, he had to fend off fervent recruiters from Harvard, Pennsylvania, and Rice, along with several top scholarship schools. Yale welcomed Carlton, the 48th ranked junior singles player in the nation, to its struggling squad. "[Carlton] was a great addition this year," team captain Mark Warnken, TD '98, remarked.

Julia Tiernan/YH

With ever-building momentum, Yale's top rookie is currently riding a seven-game winning streak in the number three position. Since the spring season began in March, Carlton has been the difference in many of the Bulldogs' wins, including their 3-2 win over Ball State, in which Carlton won the deciding match. Carlton's play has certainly not gone unnoticed. "He's had a great freshman season [so far]," teammate Ryan Smith, PC '00, said.

The season is far from over, though. This week, the men's tennis team squares off against Navy and Princeton. While the Elis dominated the Midshipmen earlier this fall (7-0) and can likely expect a similar outcome, the Tigers will pose a challenge for the Bulldogs. Carlton, however, feels ready: "My confidence is up. During spring break, things start-ed to count and I got into a groove."

Although some might be concerned about a tendency to grow too confident, Carlton's teammates, who know that he must be focused on his game if Yale is to make it to post-season play, are making sure that overconfidence will not be a problem.

Andrew Tang, SY '98, one of Yale's top players, offered that "[Scott] is definitely playing well [and] he's shown good composure on the court. He has shown he can perform in the clutch." Those are the words of an experienced player who has the utmost confidence in his teammate.

A political science major, Carlton has made the transition to Yale smoothly. Truly a testament to his skillful time-management, not only does Scott practice six days a week and maintain a stellar academic standing, but he can also be found at Toad's Place and Gecko's on weekends.

Perhaps Warnken's words say it all: "[Scott's] not only a performer on the court but off the court as well."

--Richard Albert

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