Skillman, N.J.----The Wingate University men’s tennis team is ranked 50th in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) NCAA Division II ranking. The Bulldogs are one of two South Atlantic Conference teams ranked, with the Railsplitters of Lincoln Memorial University checking in at number 48.

The Bulldogs are 14-5 overall on the season, after compiling a 7-1 record in the SAC. Wingate finished second in the conference during the regular season, while also reaching the championship match in the 2010 Food Lion SAC tournament.

Wingate’s season includes a nine-match winning streak, which started with a 5-4 win over then-number 24 Anderson (S.C.) University. The Bulldogs had four all-SAC selections. Sophomores Matthew Lichtenstein (Darnestown, Md.) and Bruno Pudence (Sao Paulo, Brazil) took first team honors, while junior Braeden Patchell (Oakville, Ontario) and sophomore Flavio Rathsam (Sao Paulo, Brazil) earned second team laurels.

Rathsam leads the Bulldogs with a 16-1 record in singles play. He is 29-2 in his two-year career at Wingate. Junior Fernando Montemurro (Sao Paulo, Brazil) is second on the team with 14 victories, holding a 14-4 record. Lichtenstein is right behind Montemurro with 13 wins.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a private four-year co-educational institution of 2,159 students offering active learning opportunities through personalized instruction, world travel, career discovery and community service.

Wingate offers 34 undergraduate majors in arts and sciences, business, communication, education, fine arts, music and sport sciences. It also offers graduate degrees in business, education, physician assistant studies and sport administration. In addition, the school awards the doctor of pharmacy and the doctor of education degrees.

Bulldog student-athletes compete in 19 NCAA Division II sports. Wingate University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past four years.

Wingate University is ranked number three among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000’s with 34 honorees during this millennium. Only Pittsburg State (Kan.) University and Truman State (Mo.) University have produced more Academic All-America® honorees during this time period. Wingate’s 43 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.

(Wingate University assistant sports information director Hugh Patton wrote this article. Patton is a 2006 Wingate graduate with a B.A. degree in Communication Studies.) 

ITA TOP 50

1.  Valdosta State (Ga.)

2.  Armstrong Atlantic State (Ga.)

3.  Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)

4.  Barry (Fla.)

5.  Lynn (Fla.)

6.  Hawaii Pacific

7.  Rollins (Fla.)

8.  Florida Southern

9.  West Florida

10. Columbus State (Ga.)

11. Concordia (N.Y.)

12. Georgia College & State

13. Francis Marion

14. Lander

15. Flagler (Fla.)

16. St. Edwards (Texas)

17. Drury (Mo.)

18. Augusta State

19. Abilene Christian (Texas)

20. Incarnate Word (Texas)

21. Cameron (Okla.)

22. Northwest Missouri State

23. Northwood (Mich.)

24. Lees-McRae

25. Anderson (S.C.)

26. USC Aiken

27. Washburn (Kan.)

28. Midwestern State (Texas)

29. BYU Hawaii

30. UC-San Diego

31. Southwest Baptist (Texas)

32. Western New Mexico

33. East Central State (Okla.)

34. Sonoma State (Calif.)

35. Limestone

36. Southern Indiana

37. Rockhurst (Mo.)

38. Sonoma State (Calif.)

39. Wayne State (Mich.)

40. Queens College (N.Y.)

41. Ferris State (Mich.)

42. Florida Tech

43. Eckerd (Fla.)

44. Cal Poly Pomona

45. North Alabama

46. Mesa State (Colo.)

47. Alabama Huntsville

48. Lincoln Memorial

49. West Virginia Wesleyan

50. Wingate