Men's Tennis | 9/8/2017 10:35:00 AM

Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University men's and women's tennis teams will host the Bulldog Invitational Saturday and Sunday at the Wingate University Tennis Complex and the Monroe High School Tennis Facility (complete draw). In addition to the Bulldogs, Belmont Abbey, Catawba and Lenoir-Rhyne will send teams to the event. Play begins both days at 9 a.m.
 
Wingate has won each of the last seven regular season SAC titles, rolling off 59 consecutive conference victories while winning 70 of its last 71 league contests overall. Wingate has gone undefeated in league play in each of the last five seasons. In addition to the regular season success, the Bulldogs have also won four of the last seven SAC tournament championships. Wingate won titles in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015.
 
The Bulldog men's tennis team has won three of the last six SAC Tournament titles, picking up championships in 2012, 2014 and 2015. In addition to those three championships, the Bulldogs have collected six regular season SAC titles since the 2009 season. In the classroom, six Bulldog women and three men earned ITA Scholar-Athlete honors last year. The Wingate women received the ITA All-Academic Team award last year as well.
 
The Wingate University athletic media relations office caught up with head coach Michael Cabana, junior Sydney Homan (Huntsville, Ala.) and sophomore Daniel Belsito (Charlotte, N.C.) to get their thoughts about the 2017 Bulldog Invitational (an interview transcript follows).
 
Michael Cabana
 
"I have been impressed with the teams' efforts early in our fall season. They come to work hard and have been very focused and motivated. I think after last season and the way it ended both teams understand they can't take any day on court lightly."
 
"We have our first test this weekend to see where we are to this point versus some conference and regional opponents. We will be hosting Catawba, Lenoir-Rhyne and Belmont Abbey for our invitational and I am excited to see the individuals compete. This tournament also gives me an opportunity to evaluate the freshmen and see how they will compete. It will be a long weekend of matches, but the teams are ready to compete and I am ready to open up the season on our home courts."
 
Sydney Homan
 
"The road to success is always under construction. This is Wingate Women's Tennis team's mindset for the 2017-18 season. Following this mission statement, the first practice on Monday (Sept. 4) was filled with energy, focus and excitement."
 
"Since it is the off-season, we are working to improve not only our tennis skills, but also pushing our bodies to get into the best shape possible. Hard work is something in which the women's tennis team takes pride. This weekend is our first tournament. It will be a great opportunity to compete together as a team and see where improvements need to be made."
 
Daniel Belsito
 
"We are a relatively young team this year, so the early fall practices are great for building team chemistry and focusing on the goal we have every year…which is to improve every day in hopes of capturing a conference title. The guys are working hard and ramping up the energy and focus for our first tournament this weekend."
 
"There are some quality programs coming to test themselves against us. We know we have a lot of room to grow…and this will be an opportunity to showcase our hard work and figure out what we need to do to be ready for the spring. We have a schedule which will allow us to move up in the rankings quickly, if we are ready to go come January. I am very excited to begin competing this weekend."
 
WINGATE UNIVERSITY                                                                                                   
 
Wingate University, consistently ranked as a top 10 "best value" in the South by U.S. News & World Report, serves more than 3,400 students on three campuses in Wingate, Charlotte and Hendersonville, N.C. Founded in 1896, the University offers 35 undergraduate majors, 35 minors, 12 career concentrations, nine pre-professional programs, master's degrees in accounting, business, education, physician assistant studies and sport management and doctorates in education, pharmacy and physical therapy.
 
With a 14 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 11 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 96 selections. Among North Carolina's colleges and universities, Wingate is number one in this millennium with 96 Academic All-America® honorees. Wingate is tops among all SAC schools with 105 lifetime Academic All-America® picks. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com.