Saturday, 04/02/2011

Skillman, N.J.----The Wingate University men’s tennis is the number 39 team in the Campbell/ITA NCAA Division II national rankings, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association announces this week. The Bulldogs are the number 11 team in the Southeast Region rankings.

The Wingate men are 12-3 overall and 6-0 in the South Atlantic Conference. The Bulldogs are enjoying an eight-match winning streak. In the previous national ranking, Wingate was listed as the number 38 team.

Bulldog junior Matthew Lichtenstein (Darnestown, Md.) is ranked number 12 in Southeast Region singles top 20. Lichtenstein is 13-2 overall at the number one singles position. He is 5-1 in SAC contests. In doubles, Lichtenstein and senior partner Braeden Patchell (Oakville, Ontario) are 10-3 overall at the number two flight. The All-SAC pair is a perfect 6-0 in league matches.

Wingate junior Flavio Rathsam (Sao Paulo, Brazil) has won 13 singles matches in a row. On the season, he is 14-1 overall at the number three singles flight. For his career, Rathsam has compiled a 42-3 overall singles record. He joined Lichtenstein and Patchell on the 2010 All-SAC team.

Bulldog junior Andrew Owen (Kitchener, Ontario) is 12-2 overall at the number two singles position. Owen, Patchell and Rathsam are 6-0 overall in SAC singles matches. Both Lichtenstein and senior Fernando Montemurro (Sao Paulo, Brazil) have compiled 5-1 SAC singles ledgers.

Wingate returns to league play this weekend, traveling to Newberry College Saturday for a 1 p.m. start. Wingate’s next home match is Saturday, April 16, when the Bulldogs host SAC foe Brevard College at 1 p.m.