Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University tennis teams begin 2010 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference tournament action this week. The Wingate men (13-4 overall) have a first-round bye. The number two seed Bulldogs play the Tusculum College versus Brevard College quarterfinal winner Friday at 1 p.m., also at the Rock Hill Tennis Center.
The number three seed Wingate women (12-6 overall) face number six seed Catawba (12-14 overall) Thursday morning at the Rock Hill Tennis Center in Rock Hill, S.C. First serve is slated for 9 a.m.
The Bulldog men are looking to make back-to-back visits to the NCAA Division II play-offs. The Food Lion SAC tournament winner receives an automatic bid to the big dance. “We are taking one match at a time,” Wingate head coach
Michael Cabana says. “We know the tournament is a different season.”
Wingate finished second in the league standings after claiming the regular season crown in 2009. The LMU Railsplitters defeated the host Bulldogs 6-3 in February, ruining the chance for a repeat regular season championship for the Wingate side. Lincoln Memorial is ranked number 12 in the region, while Wingate is number 13. Twelve teams receive bids to the post-season. “By winning the tournament, we leave no doubt we should be included in the NCAA post-season,” Cabana says.
Wingate junior
Fernando Montemurro (Sao Paulo, Brazil) has been a pleasant surprise for the Bulldogs, Cabana notes. “Fernando didn’t play much (last season),” Cabana says. “He has worked very hard to break into the line-up…I am happy for his successes.”
Montemurro picked up a three-set singles victory to clinch the Bulldogs’ 5-4 home victory over Anderson (S.C.) University March 15. At the time, Anderson was the number 24 team in the Campbell/ITA NCAA Division II top 25 poll.
Four Bulldogs were named All-SAC Wednesday. Sophomores
Matthew Lichtenstein (Darnestown, Md.) and
Bruno Pudence (Sao Paulo, Brazil) both took first team honors, while junior
Braeden Patchell (Oakville, Ontario) and sophomore
Flavio Rathsam (Sao Paulo, Brazil) claimed second team laurels.
On the women’s side, Wingate handed number one seed Lincoln Memorial University its only conference loss of the season. The Bulldogs earned a 6-3 home victory on Feb. 26. Both sophomore
Samantha Alschlager (Indian Trail, N.C.) and senior
Hollyn Alberghini (Stanfield, N.C.) went 2-0 on the afternoon.
Cabana believes the Bulldog women are playing good tennis at the right time. “I think the Carson-Newman College win (a 5-4 thriller on March 20) was the turning point for our season,” Cabana acknowledges. “We’ve played solid tennis all season. I think we have a good chance (in the Food Lion SAC tournament). The team believes they can win.”
Freshman
Helen Goreski (Oakville, Ontario, Canada) has given the Bulldogs a boost. “Helen has not played much tennis the last two years,” Cabana says. “She has worked very hard to make a valuable contribution.” Alschlager and Bulldog junior
Kara Stasikelis (Greer, S.C.) were named to the All-South Atlantic Conference first team, as announced by league officials today.
2010 Food Lion SAC Men’s Tennis Tournament
Quarterfinals
Thursday, April 22, 2010
at Rock Hill Tennis Center, Rock Hill, S.C.
No. 3 Tusculum vs. No. 6 Brevard, 1 p.m.
No. 4 Mars Hill vs. No. 5 Carson-Newman, 1 p.m.
Semifinals
Friday, April 23, 2010
at Rock Hill Tennis Center, Rock Hill, S.C.
No. 1 Lincoln Memorial vs. Mars Hill/Carson-Newman winner, 1 p.m.
No. 2 Wingate vs. Tusculum/Brevard winner, 1 p.m.
Championship
Saturday, April 24, 2010
at Rock Hill Tennis Center, Rock Hill, S.C.
Semifinal winners, Noon
2010 Food Lion SAC Women’s Tennis Tournament
Quarterfinals
Thursday, April 22, 2010
at Rock Hill Tennis Center, Rock Hill, S.C.
No. 3 Wingate vs. No. 6 Catawba, 9 a.m.
No. 4 Brevard vs. No. 5 Carson-Newman, 9 a.m.
Semifinals
Friday, April 23, 2010
at Rock Hill Tennis Center, Rock Hill, S.C.
No. 1 Lincoln Memorial vs. Carson-Newman/Brevard winner, 9 a.m.
No. 2 Tusculum vs. Wingate/Catawba winner, 9 a.m.
Championship
Saturday, April 24, 2010
at Rock Hill Tennis Center, Rock Hill, S.C.
Semifinal winners, 9 a.m.
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a private four-year co-educational institution of 2,159 students offering active learning opportunities through personalized instruction, world travel, career discovery and community service.
Wingate offers more than 40 undergraduate majors in arts and sciences, business, communication, education, fine arts, music and sport sciences. It also offers graduate degrees in business, education, physician assistant studies and sport administration. In addition, the school awards the doctor of pharmacy and the doctor of education degrees.
Bulldog student-athletes compete in 19 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 34 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 43 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.