Defending Region VI Champs Ranked 4th in First 15-16 Poll
2014-2015 was a magical season for the Seward County Saints Men's Tennis team as the guys in green achieved their highest ranking in school history, won their first ever Region VI Championship, and posted their top finish in school history at the NJCAA National Tournament in May and from the looks of the opening ITA poll of 2015-2016, more is expected of them this season. Released Wednesday, the Saints are ranked 4th as a team while four players are ranked in the top 50 of the individual singles rankings and a pair of Seward doubles squads are in the top 25 of those rankings.
The Saints #4 team ranking marks their second highest ranking in school history in the ITA poll. Defending National Champions ASA top the poll with Seminole State and Tyler coming in #2 and #3. Jayhawk rival Cowley checks in at #6 in the opening rankings.
A slew of Saints find themselves ranked inside the top 50 in the individual rankings. Przemek Zielinski cracks the top 10 at #10 and is the top ranked Jayhawk Conference player in the rankings following a fall season that saw him go 4-5 as the Saints top man. Alex Lebelo is ranked 15th for Seward despite playing just three matches for the Saints this fall and going 0-3 at #2 and #3 singles. Ondrej Nice is five spots behind him at #20. Nice had one of the better fall seasons of any Seward player, going 6-2 in singles play across three flights of action. Also earning his way into the rankings for the Saints was Ngoni Makambwa at #41 after he was 2-4 this fall.
In the doubles rankings, Zielinski and Nice come in at #4. Playing against some of the top competition the NJCAA has to offer, the duo went 3-4 this fall in the #1 spot. Also coming in at #18 is Felipe Casares and Tare Mariga for Seward. Casares and Mariga were easily the top point getters for Seward this season in doubles action, going 7-1 in the #2 and #3 spots.
After their winter layoff, the Saints will open their 2016 Spring season when they take the court on the road against a solid Emporia State team on February 20th.