PHILADELPHIA (5/24/04) -- Just when you thought that the Saint Joseph's University men's tennis team couldn't top last season's record breaking performance, the Hawks produced their best-ever Atlantic 10 finish in 2004 and upgraded an already challenging schedule. The resurgence of the SJU men's tennis program continued into its second year as the Crimson and Gray took on some of the nation's top teams during the selective ECAC Championships in the fall and during a demanding spring break trip to California.

Two players, junior Francisco Velazquez and sophomore Jimmy Holland, earned all-conference honors, marking the first time in program history that a pair of Hawks were cited in the same season. Velazquez also became the first SJU player to earn all-conference honors three times in a career.

The fall started with tournaments at Swarthmore, ECAC South, and Princeton before Saint Joseph's competed with the region's top 16 teams at the ECAC Championships. Brown, ranked #46 in the nation, dominated in a 7-0 victory but SJU hung tough in losses to Colgate (4-2) and Boston College (4-3) at the US National Tennis Center, home of the US Open. The Hawks wrapped up the fall by sending several players to the ITA Individual Regional Championships and the Penn Classic.

After starting the spring season in early February at the Army Invitational, SJU opened dual match play with a 7-0 shutout over Saint Peter's. The Crimson and Gray would win just two of its next eight matches but its losses read like a list of the region's and nation's top teams: Navy, Princeton, Army, Columbia, #46 Notre Dame, and #37 San Diego.

Velazquez became the winningest player in Hawk history with his 7-6, 6-7, 6-4 win over Army's John Sabia on February 29. The victory marked his 47th win, breaking the record held by Frank Barnett '71, who went 46-1 during his career. Velazquez is currently 52-36 for his career.

Back on the east coast after a week in La Jolla, Calif., Saint Joseph's won five straight matches, including a big 4-3 win over defending A-10 champion St. Bonaventure on the Finnesey Courts. After a loss to Pennsylvania, SJU traveled to Monroeville, Pa. focused on bringing home the program's first Atlantic 10 Championship.

The Hawks breezed by Dayton, 4-1, before taking on a veteran George Washington team. SJU won the doubles point but sophomore Antonio Aniello was the only singles winner in a 4-2 loss. Despite the defeat, St. Joe's guaranteed its best finish at the conference championships, regardless of its rematch against St. Bonaventure. Aniello and Holland were victorious in singles action but the Bonnies came out on top with a 4-2 victory.

Saint Joseph's, which split with Monmouth and Rutgers to finished 10-10, recorded back-to-back .500 seasons for the first time since 1983-84. SJU returns all six starters and is poised to be in the hunt once again for the conference title in 2005.