Oct 26, 2006 - Claremont, Calif. -

Michael Starr '10 won the NCAA Division III Men’s Singles Championship at the 2006 Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Small College Championships Oct 14-15.

Starr, a native of San Ramon, Calif., won his first two matches in straight sets and then defeated the number one seed from Emory University, Michael Goodwin, in the final 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. He advanced to the Small College "Super Bowl" and beat the junior and community college champion Paul Fitzgerald 6-2, 7-5, to become the first Division III male to reach the final since 1994. He lost in the final to defending champion Mislav Hizak from Embry-Riddle, 6-1, 6-3.

"He is a superstar," stated Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) men’s tennis coach, Paul Settles. "He's off to the best start of any student athlete tennis player at CMS in recent history. As far as tennis goes, he is a pure ball striker. He plays very good defense and is able to run down any ball on the court."

Starr came to HMC with one of the highest national junior rankings (67) in the 18-and-under division CMS has ever seen. He won the Northern California Sectional Championship for the 18-and-under division when he was 16 years old.

According to emeritus professor of mathematics and former CMS tennis coach (1976-99) Hank Krieger, "We've had a number of terrific players at HMC over the years, but Mike certainly looks like he's going to be the best one since A.J. Shaka '80, who won the NCAA singles championships as a freshman in 1977 on the way to becoming Mudd's first Rhodes Scholar."

"The tennis season has been great so far," states Starr. "Winning the DIII championship feels great. But I've also had a great time getting to know the guys on the team, and I can't wait for the spring season. The whole balancing-academics-with-tennis thing isn't that bad, really. If anything, I think it helps me focus more on what I'm doing and manage my time more effectively."

In addition to his athletic prowess, Starr also enjoys recreational soccer, guitar and writing. He is an avid photographer who snaps photos that journal his experiences.