College Commitment
Countdown: Wood to the Stags
by Rhiannon Potkey, 31 March 2011
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Warren Wood wasn't concerned about perceived status symbols.
He didn't want to attend a Division I institution simply to brag about playing at that level.
Wood was most concerned about finding the right all-around fit for his game, his happiness and his future.
That's why the Del Mar, Calif., resident decided to play tennis for Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, a Division III program in Southern California.
Wood received his letter of acceptance from CMS in December, and will join the program next season as a freshman.
"I never had my mind the whole time on 'D1, D1, D1' like some kids do," said Wood, a five-star recruit. "I was pretty open to seeing what Claremont had to offer once I found out about the school."
Wood was introduced to CMS by Glen Pritzker, his AP Psychology teacher at La Jolla Country Day School.
Pritzker knew CMS coach Paul Settles and thought the program would be a great match for Wood.
Wood and Settles began corresponding through email, and Wood took an unofficial visit to the campus during his junior year.
"I watched the team practice and met with the team and it was like it just clicked," Wood said. "They were all just great guys and I could see it was a pretty high level of tennis there and that is how I got hooked."
Wood said he also considered UC Santa Barbara, University of San Diego, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Penn State, the University of North Carolina-Wilmington and Wake Forest.
"Warren is an example of an elite player looking for a balanced student-athlete collegiate experience," Settles said. "He wants great academics and to be a part of a team that will contend for a title."
Wood was born and raised in the San Diego area, and has a tennis court in the backyard of his house.
His parents both play, and they introduced Warren to the sport at an early age.
"I would watch them play on the court and they would leave me out there to play with them," he said. "I took my first lesson when I was 4 with Jack Broudy, and he is still my coach. We just get along great. He is big on stroke development, and that is what I did for the first eight years of my tennis life."
