Bulldogs earn spot in NCAA Tournament
4/29/2009
Indianapolis, Ind.----The 2009 South Atlantic Conference regular season champion Wingate University men’s tennis team earned an at-large bid to the 2009 NCAA Division II tournament, officials announced Wednesday evening. The Bulldogs enter the tournament 12-5 overall; Wingate compiled an 8-0 ledger during the SAC regular season.
Day one of the tournament is Thursday, May 7. Wingate will take on Anderson (S.C.) University in the opening round of the event. The Trojans posted a 13-6 overall record during the regular season. The match is scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday.
The WU-AU winner will take on Columbus State (Ga.) University Friday at 2 p.m. Georgia College and State University (14-3 overall) is hosting the three-day regional tournament. The other two teams in the regional are Limestone College (12-6 overall) and Lees McRae College (18-6 overall). The championship match is slated for Saturday.
Wingate has won 10 of its last 11 matches. The Bulldogs are led by three All-SAC selections. Sophomore Mitchell Lvovsky (Dania, Fla.) was a first team selection. Sophomore Braeden Patchell (Oakville, Ontario) and freshman Bruno Pudence (Sao Paulo, Brazil) were second team selections. Wingate head coach Michael Cabana was named the SAC Coach of the Year.
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a private four-year co-educational institution of 2,129 students, offering active learning opportunities through personalized instruction, international study, faith development, career discovery and community service.
Wingate offers 40 undergraduate majors in arts and sciences, business, education, fine arts, music and sport sciences. It also offers graduate degrees in business, education, physical education, physician assistant studies, sport administration and the doctor of pharmacy degree.
Bulldog student-athletes compete in 17 NCAA Division II sports. Wingate University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past three years.
Wingate University is ranked number three among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000’s with 31 honorees during this millennium. Only Pittsburg State (Kan.) University and Truman State (Mo.) University have produced more Academic All-America® honorees during this time period. Wingate’s 40 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.
(Wingate University assistant sports information director Hugh Patton wrote this article. Patton is a 2006 Wingate grad with a B.A. degree in Communication Studies.)