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For Immediate Release 30 April 2003
Southwest
Baptist’s men’s tennis team will host a 2003 NCAA
Division II North Central Regional Tournament on Friday and
Saturday, May 2-3.
The tournament will begin with a matchup between Washburn
and Northern Colorado at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 2. SBU will
face Colorado School of Mines at 1 p.m. on Friday. The two
winners will square off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 3.
The No. 10 Bearcats enter the tournament with a 21-5 overall
record and a 5-0 MIAA tally. 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. He was
4-0 in MIAA play and 16-3 overall this season in dual match
play. 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 trip to the national tournament is the first for the Bearcats
in three seasons and is the 32nd time in Bryant’s 37-year
tenure the Bearcats have made the national tournament.
SBU’s opponent on Friday, Colorado School of Mines, enters
the tournament with a 12-13 overall record. The Orediggers
were 3-3 in the Rocky Mountain Athletics Conference this season
and finished 1-1 in the RMAC postseason tournament and were
the fourth seed. Dinuka Ranaweera is tied for No. 14 in the
regional singles rankings.
Washburn enters the tournament with a 16-6 overall record.
The Ichabods were 3-2 in MIAA play this season. Sydney Bwalya
and john Johnson are ranked No. 6 and 9 respectively in the
region in singles. the duo is No. 2 in the doubles rankings.
Northern Colorado enters the tournament with a No. 5 regional
ranking and a 11-9 overall record. The Bears finished in second
place in the North Central Conference tournament last week.
Jimmy Flanigan is ranked No. 7 in the region in singles. Flanigan
and Matt Bong are ranked No. 5 in doubles while Chris Humphrey
and Brian Bishop are ranked No. 9.
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