Men's Tennis | 2/26/2016 2:06:00 PM

Skillman, N.J.----The Wingate University men's tennis team remains nationally ranked in the latest release of the Oracle/Intercollegiate Tennis Association NCAA Division II top 50 poll. The Bulldog men are currently ranked 48th nationally and 10th in the Southeast Regional standings.

"We are very excited about being recognized in this new ranking," Wingate head men's tennis coach Michael Cabana says. "We have a lot of work ahead of us to continue to be considered. We will have a lot of people looking to take our spot. We have to be ready every time we step on the court."

Wingate is currently 4-2 overall at this point in the early season, including a big 5-4 win over then-number 48 ranked Francis Marion. The Bulldogs have recently opened South Atlantic Conference play with a win over Lincoln Memorial. They will continue conference action for the next four games on their schedule.

"Getting a tough win against Francis Marion was a key factor in us even staying in the rankings," Cabana says. "We cannot afford to overlook any opponent. We have to respect everyone and understand that there is a lot of work to do this season."

Wingate has won back-to-back SAC regular season and tournament titles (2015, 2014). The Bulldogs were 15-6 overall and 10-1 in the SAC last year, winning their fifth regular season conference title in seven years. Wingate went on to win the SAC Tournament championship, giving the 'Dogs two straight tournament titles and three in four years. Wingate's 2015 NCAA appearance was the sixth in program history.
 
Wingate makes its first SAC road trip this weekend, facing Brevard Friday (2:30 p.m.) and Mars Hill Saturday (12 noon). The Bulldogs return home Monday, taking advantage of Leap Day to face Catawba (2 p.m.).
 
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
Wingate University, consistently ranked as a top 10 "best value" in the South by U.S. News & World Report, serves more than 3,100 students on three campuses in Wingate, Charlotte and Hendersonville, N.C. Founded in 1896, the University offers 35 undergraduate majors, 37 minors and career concentrations, numerous pre-professional programs, master's degrees in business, accounting, education, physician assistant studies and sport management and doctorates in pharmacy, physical therapy and education.
 
With a 15 to 1 student/teacher ratio, Wingate students gain the tools and support needed to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. To view current news, video and story ideas, visit www.youtube.com/wingateuniversity. 
 
In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past nine years. For more information, go to www.wingate.edu.
 
Wingate is first among NCAA Division II Academic All-America®-producing colleges in the 2000's with 82 selections. Among North Carolina's colleges and universities, Wingate's 82 Academic All-America® honorees are number one during this millennium. Wingate's 91 lifetime Academic All-America® picks are tops among all SAC schools. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com.
 
(Wingate University athletics intern Phillip Pruett, Jr. contributed this article. Pruett is senior at Temple University, majoring in Sport and Recreation Management.)