With his neatly styled hair and GQ attire, senior Marc Lohser (MSB ‘03) looks more like a young professional than a college athlete. Yet every morning at 8:40 a.m., Lohser can be found on the tennis courts practicing with Georgetown’s men’s tennis team, just as he has since he was a first year.
Lohser’s veteran poise has proved invaluable this season, as he has lead the team with a 7-2 overall record at the No. 1 and No. 2 singles spots. Against Maryland on Sunday, Lohser recorded Georgetown’s only point, a gritty three-set win over first-year Scott Peters, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
In fact, three of Lohser’s five singles matches this spring have been decided in third sets or tiebreakers. He credits his four years of playing top positions in singles and doubles with giving him the confidence to battle through high-pressure situations.
“Having so much experience with close matches, I know that you have to come in with a lot of confidence in your shots and your game plan,” Lohser said. “It’s important to keep playing the game that got you there and not get defensive.”
Lohser has always been a well-rounded baseline player with a strong serve, but Head Coach Rich Bausch had even bigger aspirations for him when he arrived at Georgetown.
“My first impression of Marc was that he was very serious and focused, and that if he could become more offensive and bring his game to net he would beat better players,” Bausch said.
Over time, Lohser succeeded in becoming an all-court singles player and developed a potent doubles game as well.
“Marc’s a good doubles player because has great hands at net,” said junior teammate Dennis Cravedi. “He’s got great groundstrokes and he can attack. He’s built up his confidence and has learned to be more aggressive.”
Lohser’s polished appearance isn’t entirely a disguise, however. The finance and management double major is also a diligent student who has been named a Big East Academic All-Star every year of his collegiate career.
“Marc is the kind of individual who wants to do well at both school and tennis, and also wants to enjoy a social experience,” said Bausch. “He’s clearly motivated.”
“I’m organized and manage my time,” said Lohser. “I have early practice and classes, and a lot of times the team will be away for the whole weekend. It’s hard to go out, but there are sacrifices you have to make.”
As a whole, the Georgetown men are the only team in the country to have been named an Intercollegiate Tennis Association Academic All-American team every year since the award’s inception in 1996. On the court, however, the team has struggled. The last time Georgetown made the Big East Championship in the spring was Lohser’s first year. He cites the team’s upset victory over Villanova in the first round of the Championship as the highlight of his career thus far.
This year, Lohser says the team’s goal is to return to the Big East Championship, and his personal goal is to go undefeated in his Big East singles and doubles matches.
“[Going undefeated] is a legitimate goal, because Marc was extremely competitive in every Big East match last year,” Bausch said. “His success will have a huge impact on how the team does in terms of qualifying for the Championship.”
Lohser is leading the team in an official role as captain this year. Cravedi claims his personable attitude and dedication makes him a respected leader.
“This year Marc has stepped it up in lifting and running after practice,” Cravedi said. “When other guys see that he’s up in front when we do sprints, it shows them that win or lose, this is what you have to do to compete.”
“I take being captain very seriously in terms of being a role model on and off the court,” Lohser said. “On the court, being well-mannered but enthusiastic about winning, and off the court doing well academically and balancing everything.”
Lohser says that his successful balancing act between academics and athletics may have helped him land his future job with J.P. Morgan.
“I think they liked that I was a tennis player—the early mornings, the the hard-working, highly motivated character. It helped set me apart,” he said.
Lohser anticipates working 80 to 100 hours a week next year and says he will no longer have time for competitive tennis.
“It’s been such a big part of my life, so it’ll be tough to play that last match,” he said. “But it gives me all the more motivation to end the season on a high note.”
