Phone: 814-777-8528 • Email: cmc34@psu.edu
Chris Cagle enters his eighth season with the Nittany Lions, his fifth full season as the Head Coach of the women’s tennis team. Cagle was announced Interim Head Coach for the women’s tennis team in December of 2013.
In the spring 2017 season, Cagle led the team in back-to-back Big Ten Conference wins over Minnesota and Wisconsin. Cagle led two players to receiving ITA National Rankings in singles. Katia Blik reached No. 81 in the country and Devan McCluskey reached No. 101. Blik also was a recipient of the Sportsmanship award from the Big Ten Conference, which recognizes players who excel both on and off the court. The team saw success not only on the court but in the classroom as well. The squad recieved a NCAA Public Recognition Award for earning Academic Progress Rate scores in the top 10 percent nationally.
The spring 2016 season was highlighted with a stretch of four Big Ten Conference wins in five matches with wins over Wisconsin, Rutgers, Nebraska and Iowa. On April 14, 2016 Kim Surin was named Highmark Student-Athlete of the week for her performance the previous week at #1 singles and #1 doubles for Penn State. Katherine Whiteaway was awarded the ITA/Arthur Ashe, Jr., Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship which takes into account a player’s tennis accomplishments, scholastic achievement and extracurricular endeavors. Just as Arthur Ashe was a great player and humanitarian, this award (which dates to 1984) recognizes players who excelled on and off the court during their collegiate careers. Sportsmanship, leadership and character are also important criteria. The 2016 Women’s Tennis Program competed in the ITA National Team Indoor Championships for the first time in program history. Kim Surin wrapped up the season with Big Ten All-Conference honors for her outstanding play in the spring conference season.
In the 2015 spring season, Cagle led the team to finish 4th in the Big Ten Conference, which was a first for the women’s tennis program. The team fell in a closely contested match during the Big Ten Championship semi finals to the eventual champ of the conference, Michigan. Cagle coached the previously unranked team to result in a No. 47 rank overall in the nation. Of the 21 Spring 2015 opponents lead under Cagle, 18 of which were ranked at some point during the spring season. Duo, Victoria Kisialeva and Dasha Sapogova, were ranked as high as No. 34 in the country in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Doubles rankings.
Cagle’s first season as Head Coach of the women’s tennis program was no easy test as the team battled their way around injuries throughout the duration of the spring.Starting freshman at the top two spots in singles for the majority of the dual season, Cagle led Dasha Sapogova to All-Big Ten Second Team honors after winning 15 matches despite only competing in the spring. The 15 wins are the most by a freshman since Lauren Holzberg had 16 in 2006.
Cagle coached the Nittany Lions to their first win over Nebraska in program history when the team rallied back from a 3-0 deficit to knock of the Huskers 4-3, with Sapogova taking the clinching match at No. 1 singles in three sets.The Nittany Lions got off to a quick start under the tutelage of Cagle winning their first three matches of the season over a two-day span. His first conference win came against Wisconsin at home when Katherine Whiteaway knocked off Sydney Rider in a grueling three-set match to break the tie and give the Nittany Lions a 4-3 victory.Cagle spent three years as the assistant coach to Jeff Zinn’s men’s team, who went 11-14 in his first year at Penn State and saw the duo of Jason Lee and Russell Bader selected to compete in the NCAA Doubles Tournament.
During his second season with the men’s team, the Nittany Lions finished 8-17. After Cagles third and final season with the mens team, the Nittany Lions held a program high ranking of No. 16 in the nation and finished at No.24. Cagle served one season as a volunteer assistant coach to Zinn at Wake Forest, where he played an active on-court role, helping the Demon Deacons reach the NCAA tournament.
In 2011, Wake Forest posted a 14-12 record, notching their11th straight winning season. The Demon Deacons won 10 matches against nationally ranked opponents, including a 4-0 win over No. 30 Wisconsin to open the season and a 4-0 victory against No. 46 Virginia Commonwealth in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Before joining the Demon Deacons, Cagle established himself as one of the top junior tennis coaches, coaching players to 10 national junior titles. He has also coached players in all four Junior Grand Slams, and twice coached a player in the main draw of a Grand Slam. In addition, Cagle has coached and trained female players that have won NCAA Singles, Doubles and Team Championships including the MVP of a NCAA Championship team.
Cagle, originally from Greensboro, N.C., played as a member of the University of North Carolina-Wilmington men’s tennis program from 1989-1993. He was the first two-time captain in North Carolina-Wilmington men’s tennis program history. In 2009, he reached the No. 1 ranking in United States men’s 30s singles competition.
Cagle became the chairman for Junior Competition for North Carolina Tennis, served on the Southern Tennis Junior Competition Board, and the Winston-Salem Tennis, Inc. Board. He was the tournament director for the 2010 Boys’ 12 and Under National Clay Court Clay Court Championships. In 2010, Cagle received the Mary Milam Lifetime Achievement Award from North Carolina Tennis for his contributions to junior tennis.
From 2004-06, Cagle served on the Cystic Fibrosis Tennis Auction Ball Committee. In 2006, he took the Co-Chair position for the auction ball, which raised over $100,000 to fight Cystic Fibrosis that year.
Cagle resides in State College with his wife, Maria, and their 16-year-old son, Drew.