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For Immediate Release 25 April 2003
OVERLAND
PARK, Kan. – Southwest Baptist’s men’s
tennis team racked up honors as the 2003 All-MIAA Tennis Team
was announced Friday.
Andras Bori, Dante Cipulli, Mark Eori, Johan Nortje and Peter
Joos were all named First Team All-MIAA members for singles
and doubles. T.J. Martin also made the first team for doubles.
Martin was named honorable mention singles.
The MIAA Most Valuable Player Award went to junior Andras
Bori. Bori was 4-0 in MIAA play and 16-3 overall this season
in dual match play. He finished third in the nation in the
fall at the Omni Hotels/Intercollegiate Tennis Association
Small College National Championships.
Joos was named the MIAA Freshman of the Year for his 4-0 performance
in the MIAA in the fourth flight. He is 11-6 overall this
season.
Head Coach John Bryant was named MIAA Coach of the Year for
the 10th time at the helm of the Bearcats . He has led the
No. 10 Bearcats to a 21-5 overall record and a 5-0 MIAA tally
this season. Last week, SBU won its 11th Mid-America Intercollegiate
Athletics Association Postseason Tournament title after defeating
Truman (5-0) and Northwest Missouri State (5-1).
The Bearcats five losses this season have come against either
higher nationally-ranked teams, or against Division I opponents.
However, SBU has chalked up some quality wins. For example,
knocking off then-No. 1 Drury 5-4 on April 1.
The Bearcats are led by No. 9 Andras Bori in singles. Dante
Cipulli, who plays the second flight, is ranked No. 40 in
the nation and was 5-0 in MIAA play and 19-3 this season overall.
No. 22 Mark Eori is in the third flight and was 5-0 in MIAA
action and 18-1 in dual matches. In the fourth flight is Johan
Nortje. Nortje is 5-0 was conference action and 14-6 in dual
action. Peter Joos was 4-0 and 11-6 in the fourth flight,
while T.J. Martin is 3-1 in MIAA action and 7-13 in dual matches
in the sixth flight.
In doubles, the Bearcats are led by No. 5 Eori and Bori. The
reigning national champions are 4-0 in MIAA play this season
and 22-2 in dual action. Cipulli and Nortje have teamed up
for a 5-0 mark in the MIAA and are 23-2 dual match play. Joos
and Martin are 4-1 in the MIAA and 11-15 overall this season.
The Bearcats broke the top 10 in the national poll last week
for the first time since 1994. From 1988-94, SBU was consistently
ranked in the top eight. SBU has been ranked nationally this
season, however, this is the highest ranking thus far. The
Bearcats are still ranked No. 1 in the North Central Region.
The Bearcats will make their 32nd trip to the national tournament
in Bryant’s 37-year tenure next week when they host a
North Central Regional Tournament in Bolivar on May 2-3.
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