Sept. 23, 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -
The Samford University men's tennis team will compete in its first tournament of the 2010 fall season this weekend as the Bulldogs head to Athens, Ga., for the 43rd Annual Southern Intercollegiate Championships, which is the oldest fall college tennis tournament in America.
The talent-laden tournament will be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 24-26, at the University of Georgia's Dan Magill Tennis Complex. Some of the top teams in the region will be participating.
The 2010 tournament features participants from 34 schools including Alabama, UAB, Campbell, Central Florida, Chattanooga, College of Charleston, Davidson, Eastern Kentucky, East Tennessee State, Elon, Florida, Georgia, Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Georgia Tech, Liberty, Lipscomb, LSU, Memphis, Mercer, Miami, Middle Tennessee State, UNC Wilmington, Radford, Samford, South Carolina, South Florida, Stetson, Tennessee, Tennessee Tech, Vanderbilt, Winthrop and Wofford.
The field will be divided into three singles divisions and two doubles divisions, and there will be a champion from each division. There will be a maximum of two rounds of singles consolation for first round losers but no doubles consolation.
Samford heads into the 2010-11 campaign boasting its largest roster in school history. The Bulldogs enter the season with 16 players on its roster, including nine upperclassmen. Samford's senior class this year will be comprised of Carl Abalos, Kelwin DeWet, Oliver Reynolds and Adam Witcher, while the junior class includes Michael Browder, Joe Hunsicker, Carson Kadi, Mark Lange and Ryan Shidler.
This year's sophomore class will include the following student-athletes: Zac Dunkle, John Flaniken, Scott Foster and Auburn transfer Alexander Sajonz, while the Bulldogs' true freshmen on the 2010-11 roster include highly-touted recruits Garrison Laduca, Alex Rudd and Taylor Wells.
Action in the 43rd Annual Southern Intercollegiate Championships will get underway Friday at 7 a.m. (CDT) and will conclude Sunday afternoon.
Following this weekend's tournament held at Georgia's Dan Magill Tennis Complex, the Samford men's tennis team will next be in action Oct. 1-3, as the Bulldogs are scheduled to participate in the 2010 Steve Baras Invitational being held in Chattanooga, Tenn.
