WC hoping men’s tennis can follow success of women

On the heels of the quick success of the women's tennis program in its first two years, Weatherford College now has a men's program. 

It's not easy, but it is certainly something to be proud of and excited about, said coach Mitchell Vechione. 

"It's tough starting a brand-new program, but it's so exciting at the same time," he said. "It's a scary, yet wonderful feeling." 

So far, the program has two players, Hugo Castets from France and Christian Lopez from Guatemala. However, Vechione said more are expected come early 2024. 

"Because of visa denials, I had to refer everyone to the spring," he said. 

The women's team had immediate success, even making their way into the national rankings and competing in the NJCAA Tournament. They finished eighth in the nation in their inaugural season in 2021-22. 

Vechione believes similar results are potentially there for the men's program. 

"Oh, absolutely! We definitely think we can make a huge splash this year on the men's side, first year or not," he said. 

Getting recruits to campus is not a challenge, Vechione said. 

"Weatherford sells itself. The beautiful campus, the outstanding staff, and the community really makes my life easy," he said. 

As for the top competition the men will face, Vechione believes Collin College is going to be tough. 

"They have a solid coach who started the same time I did who does an outstanding job, so conference and region are going to be tough like usual, but we'll definitely have a good shot this year!" 

Vechione expressed gratitude to Weatherford College and its international and athletic offices for making his players feel at home.