Jacob Nelson, a sophomore from Olney, Maryland, and Sherwood High School, earned United East Conference Men’s Tennis Player of the Week honors on October 14, 2025, marking his second career award. The St. Mary’s College of Maryland standout secured the team’s only point in a 6-1 non-conference loss to Marymount University on October 10, defeating Rebhi Villasmil 6-1, 6-4 at No. 2 singles after a 6-1 doubles setback with partner Alex Layman ’28 at No. 1 against Villasmil and Eshan Degamwar.
Nelson, playing his second season for the Seahawks, tops the team with a 7-3 singles record and 6-4 in doubles through early fall matches. His performance against Marymount highlighted baseline consistency, converting 5 of 7 break points while holding serve in 9 of 10 games. The Olney native, who lettered three years at Sherwood and reached the Maryland 3A state semifinals as a junior, trains year-round at College Park Tennis Club, focusing on topspin forehands that average 75 mph per USTA metrics.
The October 10 match at Marymount’s Arlington campus followed United States Tennis Association guidelines for Division III: best-of-three sets in singles, eight-game pro sets in doubles without tiebreakers at 8-all. Nelson’s victory broke Marymount’s No. 2 sweep streak from their prior three matches. Teammate Layman, a freshman from Bethesda’s Walt Whitman High School, posted a 4-2 doubles record partnering across lines. The Seahawks, now 0-2 after a season-opening loss to Catholic University, host the Seahawk Open October 18-19, drawing 32 players from Pennsylvania, Virginia and Delaware for individual singles and doubles draws.
United East Conference Player of the Week awards, announced Tuesdays during the fall and spring seasons, recognize top performers from eight regular-season matches. Nelson joins a 2025-26 list including Daniel Stange (Cairn, senior) on September 23, Dan Trott (Penn State Abington, freshman) on September 30, and Talan Nguyen (Penn State Berks, sophomore) on October 7. Since 2020, St. Mary’s players have earned five weekly honors, led by All-American Ethan Quinn’s three in 2022 before transferring to Georgia. Conference champions advance to the NCAA Tournament, where St. Mary’s reached the second round in 2023.
Spring 2026 preparation begins now with the Seahawk Open, awarding 32 points toward ITA rankings. Tournament format includes round-robin pools for consolation brackets, with finals on Sunday at 2 p.m. Past winners include Penn State Harrisburg’s Jonathan Kuebler in 2024 singles and St. Mary’s duo in doubles. Weather contingencies shift to indoor bubble courts holding 200 spectators.
Division III tennis emphasizes academics, with St. Mary’s boasting a 3.45 team GPA and 98 percent graduation rate. Nelson majors in environmental studies, researching tidal marsh erosion on campus wetlands for his honors thesis due May 2026. Teammates balance 20 weekly practice hours—drills on volleys, footwork ladders and match simulations—against 15-credit loads. Nutrition follows NCAA guidelines: 3,500 daily calories from carbs (60 percent), protein (20 percent) and fats (20 percent), tracked via MyFitnessPal.
As Nelson eyes All-Conference honors, his weekly award underscores St. Mary’s resurgence after a 9-11 spring. Weekend results could propel the Seahawks into ITA regional top 20, unlocking bids to ITA Fall Nationals in San Diego November 7-10.
