Newberry College Athletics

Mark Gardiner enters his 13th academic year at Newberry College, his first as Director of Tennis/Head Women's Tennis Coach, having served as head men's tennis coach since the 2010-11 season and head women's coach since the 2011-12 season.

On the women's side, Gardiner has had ten singles players named all-South Atlantic Conference while six doubles teams have earned all conference honors. 

The Wolves improved from a 13-10 overall (4-5 SAC) record in his first season as women's coach to a SAC Tournament finalist run with a 17-8 overall (8-3 SAC) record in 2013-14. Newberry's overall record improved to 17-6 in 2014-15. Newberry had three players receive all-conference honors in 2015-16 after finishing with a 16-7 overall record and a 7-4 mark in conference play. 

He has also recruited strong student-athletes to the women's side, as the team has earned ITA All-Academic Team honors each year, with 19 women's players named ITA Scholar-Athletes in his 12 seasons at the helm.

Gardiner has also seen success on the men's side. In his first season (2010-11), the Wolves were predicted to finish in 10th place in the South Atlantic Conference. Instead, the scarlet and gray defied the league predictions and finished in fourth place in the conference. 

Newberry men's tennis had one of the best seasons in program history in 2015-16. The Wolves had a narrow 5-4 defeat in the SAC Conference Tournament Finals. Newberry had an overall record of 20-6 and 7-4 in conference play.  Jacob Svantesson earned Freshman of the Year honors as Newberry notched six positions on the all-conference team.

In 2016-17, both the men's and women's tennis teams advanced to the SAC Tournament, with the men's team advancing to the semifinals. Two men (Jordan Monosky and Edison Ambarzumjan) and two women (Elizabeth Williamson and Amanda Carrillo) were named all-SAC. Williamson was also named CoSIDA Academic All-District At-Large and ECAC Player of the Month (April). 

In 2021-22, the women's tennis team produced the best record in program history (24-5), including the program's first NCAA tournament victory over Queens at Flagler College, and they rose as high as No. 11 in the ITA Division II Women's Tennis Rankings. After the conclusion of the regular season, three women (Zulay Castaneda, Nastassia Chamoun, and Lucy Spice) and one man (Mateo Bivol) were named All-SAC with Castaneda also being honored as the South Atlantic Conference Player of the year.

Gardiner's initial recruit - Vinicius Botelho of Brazil - was named all-South Atlantic Conference a total of six times. He was first team all-conference in singles in 2011 and 2014, second team all-conference in singles in 2012 and 2013 and first team all-conference in doubles with partner Michael Saunders in 2012 and 2013.

On the men's side, Gardiner has had his players appear on the all-SAC rolls 21 times.

Gardiner graduated from Winthrop University in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. While at Winthrop, Gardiner was a member of the varsity tennis team and earned a varsity letter as an Eagle.

From 1990-97 he was the Director of Tennis and the Head Tennis Professional at the Cardinal Racquet Club in Anderson. He coordinated and oversaw numerous tournaments while at the Club and saw one of them lauded as the South Carolina Tournament of the Year.

The Chapin native has been a member of the United States Professional Tennis Association since 1990 and is currently rated a 4.5 by USTA Team Tennis. He has been a member and a captain of USTA men's, combo and mixed doubles teams and most of these teams have advanced to the state tournament and won state titles since 2003.

Gardiner resides in Chapin and was inducted into the Richland Northeast High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022.

GARDINER YEAR-BY-YEAR