FOREST, Va. --- This an unprecendented time in the world of collegiate athletics, with spring sports and championships canceled due to the landscape surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. The stoppage of competition, while affecting all student-athletes, was especially painful for the senior class of 2020 with an abrupt end to their careers. In a new series of features, the ODAC would like to honor this class of athletes and celebrate them for their years of contributions to their respective programs at each of the conference's 15 member schools.

In this installment of our "Saluting the Class of 2020" features, the ODAC showcases the seniors from our men's tennis programs.

There is no one program in any sport in ODAC history that has had more success that Washington and Lee University men's tennis. The Generals senior class of Jack Johnson, Harry Shepherd, and Mitchell Thomas helped W&L claim the past three of 10 straight ODAC men's tennis crowns. That run is part of a larger 38 conference titles out of 43 total championships conducted.

On the national stage, Washington and Lee's best showing of the past three years was in 2018 when the Generals defeated Thomas More College (now University), 5-0. Shepherd and Thomas each accounted for two points with singles and doubles wins. Shepherd added a second NCAA doubles victory in round two against Emory in a 5-1 setback to the Eagles.

In 2017, W&L played its NCAA match against Sewanee and fell to the Tigers, 5-3. Thomas registered one of the Generals' points with a doubles victory.

RELATED: ODAC Tournament History | ODAC Men's Tennis NCAA History

ITA national and regional rankings featured both Washington and Lee and Hampden-Sydney teams as well as Shepherd and Thomas from W&L.

From a team perspective, Washington and Lee finished 2018 as the 15th rated team in the Atlantic South Region, a position they duplicated at the end of the 2019 campaign as well. Hampden-Sydney featured in that survey as the 20th ranked squad in the region. At the close of play this year, the Generals were slotted 32nd in the country in a poll published on March 13, but did not appear in the last regional ranking on January 16 (the next poll was slated for 3/23/20).

Individually, Shepherd finished 2018 as the 33rd-rated singles player in Division III and seventh in the region, while Thomas was slotted 23rd in the region. Shepherd and doubles teammate Charlie Kittredge were ranked ninth in the regional doubles table. Shepherd also featured in the 2019 and 2020 regional singles polls. He finished 2019 as the 16th-rated player and was positioned 17th entering the spring campaign this year.

RELATED: ITA Rankings Platform

The list of award winners with All-ODAC pedigree is long with 13 seniors having picked up at least one honor. Four players have appeared on each of the three all-conference charts. That includes Hampden-Sydney's Grayson Burns and Washington and Lee's Thomas, who earned five All-ODAC honors each. Burns was a second team choice at #6 singles in 2017 and picked up first team laurels at the same singles flight in addition to a first team nod at #3 doubles in 2018. He was a second team choice at #4 singles and #2 doubles in 2019. Thomas earned first team recognition at #5 singles and #3 doubles in 2017 and was as second team selection at #2 singles in 2018. He repeated that latter honor in 2019 in addition to earning a first team assignment at #1 doubles as well as the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year award.

Hampden-Sydney's brothers duo of Matthew and Michael Moody earned all-league distinction each of the past three seasons. They were first team picks as partners at #1 doubles all three years. Michael was a first team choice at #2 singles in 2017, while Matthew added a second team nod at #1 singles in 2018.

Listed below is a breakdown of all the past All-ODAC awards earned by members of the class of 2020. The ODAC honors two teams in men's tennis, an All-ODAC First Team (1st) and an All-ODAC Second Team (2nd) at six singles flights and three doubles flights. Some flights have more than one honoree (i.e. #1 singles has two 1st team and two 2nd team honorees).
(Abbreviation key: 1s = #1 singles; 1d = #1 doubles, etc.)

• Mason Robb, GC | 2018: 1st at 2s/2d --- 2019: 2nd at 1d
• Grayson Burns, H-SC | 2017: 2nd at 6s --- 2018: 1st at 6s/3d --- 2019: 2nd at 4s/2d
• Clark Cummings, H-SC | 2018: 1st at 3d --- 2019: 1st at 5s/3d
• Matthew Moody, H-SC | 2017: 1st at 1d --- 2018: 1st at 1d / 2nd at 1s --- 2019: 1st at 1d
• Michael Moody, H-SC | 2017: 1st at 2s/1d --- 2018: 1st at 1d --- 2019: 1st at 1d
• Juan Borga, LYN | 2017: 2nd at 1s --- 2018: 2nd at 1s/3d
• Colton Mullins, LYN | 2018: 2nd at 3d
• Grant Sarver, R-MC | 2019: 2nd at 1s
• Darian Diaz, SU | 2018: 2nd at 1d
• Nick Gunther, VWU | 2019: 1st at 4s
• Jack Johnson, W&L | 2019: 2nd at 6s
• Harry Shepherd, W&L | 2018: 1st at 1s and POY --- 2019: 1st at 2d / 2nd at 1s
• Mitchell Thomas, W&L | 2017: 1st at 5s3d --- 2018: 2nd at 2s --- 2019: 1st at 1d  2nd at 2s and S-AOY

RELATED: All-ODAC Awards -- 2017 | 2018 | 2019

Showcased below are graphics and/or videos introducing you to each of the men's tennis players from the class of 2020. Click on the graphic or one of the links below a video to be sent to that player's bio to learn more about them. Be sure to check out the senior features published by ODAC member athletic departments throughout the spring.

For more on ODAC men's tennis, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com. Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and following @odacathletics on Twitter and Instagram.

BC Senior Bios -- Sonet Gandhi | Robert Williard	E&H Senior Bios -- Cooper Garrett | Staymon Johnson | Grayson McCarty | Dalton Shipley
FC Senior Bios -- Riley Kern | Houston Murphy	GC Senior Bios -- Kai Glass | Mason Robb
HSC Senior Bios -- Grayson Burns | Clark Cummings | Matthew Moody | Michael Moody | Zander Theoharis	LYN Senior Bios -- Juan Borga | Colton Mullins
	R-MC Senior Bios -- Jack Aprahamian | Brycen Boettcher | Luke Pratson | Grant Sarver
	SU Senior Bios -- Darian Diaz | Nick Powers
VWU Senior Bios -- Andreas Combos | Nick Gunther	W&L Senior Bios -- Jack Johnson | Harry Shepherd | Mitchell Thomas