BULLDOGS WELL REPRESENTED ON ALL-GLIAC MEN'S TENNIS TEAMS

Six FSU Men's Tennis Players Pick Up All-League Recognition

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All-GLIAC Honorees

Ferris State's Jason Cole (top) and Martin Hoch (bottom) both received All-GLIAC First Team accolades for the 2004-05 campaign

Six Ferris State University men's tennis players received All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) recognition for the 2004-05 campaign in an announcement made today (April 20) by the league office. The awards were presented in conjunction with the league's annual postseason tournament held last Friday and Saturday (April 15-16) at the Midland (Mich.) Community Tennis Center.

Seniors Jason Cole (Rockford) and Martin Hoch (Bludenz, Austria) garnered All-GLIAC First Team honors while senior Kyle Halberg (Eugene, Ore./Sheldon) along with junior Mark Hammelman (Brookfield, Wis.) received second-team kudos. Senior Francisco Gomez (Saltillo, Mexico) and freshman Lewis DeGeneault (Eugene, Ore./Sheldon) attained honorable mention accolades.

The league’s eight head coaches participated in the balloting process. Nine student-athletes were named to both the first and second-team squads while five others tallied honorable mention laurels. League champion Northwood and runner-up Ferris were the only schools to have six players selected.

The 6-3 Cole has posted a 10-13 overall singles record to date this campaign, including a 2-4 GLIAC mark at the number one singles flight. In doubles play, he holds a current 13-8 overall record this season and is ranked 25th in the latest (April 11) Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Doubles Rankings along with Hoch. The duo, which is the second-ranked team in the Great Lakes Region, registered a 4-2 conference doubles ledger this campaign. The 2004 ITA Great Lakes Region Player To Watch Award recipient, who presently has a 70-29 career singles record and a 79-31 doubles mark, also advanced to the semifinal round in singles play at the fall 2004 ITA Great Lakes Regional Championships (Sept. 24-26) held in Midland, Mich. Cole picked up first-team league accolades for the second year in a row after previously earning second-team recognition in each of his initial two seasons at FSU.

Hoch has registered overall marks of 9-12 (singles) and 14-8 (doubles) this year. The 2003-04 Verizon Academic All-District IV College Division Spring At-Large First-Team member presently holds a 49-39 career singles record and a 71-30 career doubles ledger at Ferris State. Hoch, who garnered first-team All-GLIAC plaudits for the fourth-straight season, won four of seven conference singles matches at the number two flight this campaign. He is ranked 14th in the most recent (April 11) ITA Great Lakes Regional Singles Rankings.

The 6-5 Halberg presently has recorded a 14-9 singles record and a 16-9 doubles ledger to date this year en route to earning second-team All-GLIAC recognition for the second consecutive campaign. Halberg, who holds career records of 28-15 (singles) and 35-17 (doubles), triumphed in all seven of his conference singles encounters in 2004-05. He also teamed with Hammelman and compiled a 6-1 doubles ledger in GLIAC play at the number two flight. The duo is ranked eighth in the current regional doubles rankings while Halberg presently ranks 15th in Great Lakes Region singles play.

Hammelman, who claimed FSU's 2002-03 Player To Watch Award, currently has compiled a 15-7 overall singles mark this season including a 10-5 record at the number four singles spot. Hammelman also was 7-0 in league singles play this year. Along with Halberg, he has recorded a 16-9 doubles record to date this campaign. Hammelman, who is presently 48-24 in career singles play and 39-37 in doubles action, was an All-GLIAC Honorable Mention honoree in 2003-04.

Gomez won six of his seven conference singles matches this campaign and was 5-2 overall in league doubles competition at the number three flight while teaming with Bulldog senior Matt Hill (Lansing/Holt). He has emerged victorious in 15 of 24 singles encounters this season. The 5-11 Gomez is presently 31-17 (singles) and 19-18 (doubles) during his two-year Bulldog career.

The 5-9 DeGeneault has notched a 12-6 overall singles record to date during his initial Bulldog season. He was also 6-1 overall in conference singles action this campaign. DeGeneault, who has split his only two doubles matches this year, currently has emerged victorious in seven of his last 10 singles outings.

Ferris State, which is ranked 34th in the latest (April 6) ITA Division II National Rankings, placed second overall at the GLIAC Tournament this season under interim head coach Dave Ramos. The Bulldogs, who are presently 10-9 overall this season and ranked second in the Great Lakes Region, are expected to receive a bid and potentially serve as a regional host for the opening two rounds of the NCAA Division II Championships slated to be held May 6-8 at campus sites when the official announcement is made late next week.

FSU made its 10th overall NCAA-II Tournament appearance, advanced to the national finals round of 16 for the eighth time and picked up its first-ever NCAA Sweet Sixteen victory last campaign.