Dec. 14, 2007
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - With the fall season in the books, four members of the Penn State men's tennis team garnered a spot in the top 16 of the ITA Northeast Regional fall rankings.
Senior Michael James (Clifton, Va.) earned the No. 1 spot in the rankings after posting a 15-4 record during the fall season. The Lion senior manufactured the best fall season of his career, which included trips to the ITA All American Tennis Championships and ITA Intercollegiate Indoor Championships. James picked up his first career singles crown by rolling through the ITA Northeast Regional Championship draw. In all, James recorded two victories over ranked opponents during the fall season. In addition to his individual accolades, the Nittany Lion senior posted four consecutive victories to lead Penn State to its first ECAC Championship.
Joining James in the rankings is a trio of Nittany Lions. Junior Brendan Lynch (North Potomac, Md.) chalked up an 11-3 record in singles play during the fall, and is ranked eighth in the regional rankings. Lynch's fall was highlighted with a flight victory at the University of Virginia Fall Classic in September.
Freshman Eddie Bourchier (Hobart, Australia) is ranked 13th in the fall regional rankings. In his first collegiate fall, Bourchier posted a 10-4 singles record, including victories in seven of his last 10 outings.
Junior Adam Slagter (Austin, Texas) earned the No. 16 slot in the fall rankings. The junior southpaw posted a 3-3 record during the fall season.
Penn State also had a trio of doubles teams on the Northeast Regional fall ranking list. The James and Slagter Nittany Lion team is ranked No. 5 in the region. The Lion duo went 5-5 during the fall, including a trip to the ITA All American Championships in Tulsa.
The Penn State team of senior James Dwyer (Peachtree City, Ga.) and Bourchier are ranked eighth in the region after going 5-2 during the fall. The third Lion team in the doubles rankings is Lynch and sophomore Ryan Gormley (Las Vegas, Nev.). Lynch and Gormley chalked up a team-best 8-2 record.
The Nittany Lions will open the regular season at Notre Dame on Jan. 20 in South Bend, Ind. The first serve is slated for noon.