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.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a private comprehensive university with more than 2,300 students on two campuses in Wingate and Matthews, North Carolina. The university offers 32 undergraduate majors, 36 minors and career concentrations, numerous pre-professional programs, graduate degrees in business, accounting, physician assistant studies and sports administration and doctorates in pharmacy and education.

Wingate students gain the tools and support they need to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. The campus community offers in-class learning, out-of-class experiences, strong mentors, a competitive yet caring environment and rewarding community service opportunities for a complete educational experience.

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 38 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 47 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.

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

Division II Men – National Rankings
Administered by the ITA

TEAM
1. Valdosta State
2. Armstrong Atlantic State
3. Concordia (N.Y.)
4. Barry
5. Lynn
6. St. Edwards (Texas)
7. Abilene Christian
8. West Florida
9. Rollins
10. Calif-San Diego
11. Lander
12. Flagler
13. Columbus State
14. Francis Marion
15. Georgia College
16. Drury (Mo.)
17. Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)
18. Northwest Missouri
19. Cameron (Okla.)
20. Augusta State
21. Northwood (Mich.)
22. Grand Canyon (Ariz.)
23. BYU Hawaii
24. Florida Southern
25. Queens (N.Y.)
26. Saint Leo
27. Lees-McRae
28. Anderson (S.C.)
29. Hawai’i Pacific
30. USC Aiken
31. Midwestern State (Texas)
32. Southwest Baptist (Mo.)
33. Incarnate Word (Texas)
34. Western New Mexico
35. Rockhurst (Mo.)
36. Southern Indiana
37. Wayne State (Mich.)
38. East Central State (Okla.)
39. Wingate
40. Limestone
41. Ferris State (Mich.)
42. Palm Beach Atlantic
43. Eckerd
44. Hawai’i Hilo
45. Florida Tech
46. North Alabama
47. Delta State
48. Alabama Huntsville
49. West Virginia Wesleyan
50. Washburn (Kan.)

Division II Men – Southeast Region Rankings
Administered by the ITA

TEAM
1. Armstrong Atlantic State
2. Lander
3. Flagler
4. Columbus State
5. Francis Marion
6. Georgia College
7. Augusta State
8. Lees-McRae
9. Anderson (S.C.)
10. USC Aiken
11. Wingate
12. Limestone
13. Queens (N.C.)
14. Mount Olive
15. Lincoln Memorial
16. Pfeiffer
17. Barton
18. North Georgia
19. Brevard
20. North Greenville

SINGLES
1. Eudaldo Bonet (Armstrong Atlantic State)
2. David Cotrone (Flagler)
3. Mikk Irdoja (Armstrong Atlantic State)
4. Paul Henri Arrigoni (Lander)
5. Oshada Wijemanne (Francis Marion)
6. Christian Lee-Daigle (Queens, N.C.)
7. Nador Solymosi (Lees-McRae)
8. Bernardo Fernandes (Augusta State)
9. Matus Mydla (Armstrong Atlantic State)
10. Rafael Array (Armstrong Atlantic State)
11. Philipp Hoffmann (Lincoln Memorial)
12. Matthew Lichtenstein (Wingate)
13. Miguel Lopez-Zuniga (Limestone)
14. Gregory Andrade (USC Aiken)
15. Jerome Leborgne (Georgia College)
16. Christoph Noblet (Columbus State)
17. Johan Wadstein (Georgia College)
18. Dan Regan (Armstrong Atlantic State)
19. Cesar Grobel (Barton)
20. Scott McCormick (Brevard)