_ctofeatured.jpg "Three of the world's top juniors, Robin Haden, Florian Lakat and Tassilo Schmid will call A.J. Pitts home after signing with the Bulldogs.")
Three of the world's top juniors, Robin Haden, Florian Lakat and Tassilo Sc...
Mississippi State University Team Page
STARKVILLE, Miss. – With the 2013-14 season approaching, Mississippi State men’s tennis coach Per Nilsson has announced the signing of three highly-talented newcomers who will begin suiting up for the Bulldogs beginning this fall.
Hailing from Dandery, Sweden, Robin Haden comes to MSU as one of the top Swedish juniors. A top 10 junior, Haden is ranked 32nd in the Swedish men’s rankings and is the first Swedish player to don the Maroon and White since Nilsson, a native of Lund, Sweden, took over the coaching position at State in 2008.
Another stellar junior making his way to Starkville is Florian Lakat from Paris, France. Lakat joins the Bulldogs as a top 10 French junior who has a great history of success. Lakat was a 2007 winner at the European Tennis Championship, while finishing in the 2nd position in 2009 at the same tournament. Lakat also captured a high school national championship in 2013.
The final addition to Nilsson’s 2013 class is Tassilo Schmid, a junior college transfer from Tyler (Texas) Community College. Schmid, a native of Stuttgart, Germany, helped the Tyler CC Apaches capture the 2013 NJCAA national championship, while also helping the Apaches make the NJCAA finals in 2012.
“We are very excited to have all three of these guys coming to Starkville,” Nilsson said. “They have a lot of potential as players and all three have great character and work ethic, which is what we look for when we recruit.”
The Bulldogs capped off the 2013 season by reaching the NCAA Championship Round of 16 for the first time since 2001. The impressive run led State to a No. 11 overall finish in the final ITA national rankings for a second-straight season.
For more information on Mississippi State men’s tennis, follow the Bulldogs on Twitter (www.twitter.com/hailstatemt) and on Facebook (www.facebook.com/hailstatemt).
