University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics
UMKC
Three Spartan Men Earn National Rankings
3/18/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
March 18, 2009
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Freshman Ramiro Blanco became the second USC Upstate men's tennis player in the DI era to earn a national ranking and junior Jack Roux and freshman Edgar Rodriguez became the first doubles pair in the DI era to earn a national ranking when the ITA DI Men's Individual Rankings were released on Tuesday afternoon.
Blanco, who plays mostly at No. 5 for the Spartans, entered the national poll at No. 110 thanks to a perfect 13-0 start through the first half of USC Upstate's dual meet schedule. He is the second Spartan men's tennis player to earn a Division I ranking, as current student assistant coach Sandy Franz held a ranking of 96th in the initial 2008 spring rankings.
Rodriguez and Roux have been just as unstoppable in doubles play, having posted a perfect 11-0 record to enter the rankings at No. 64. The pair posted a perfect 7-0 mark at No. 3 and are also 4-0 at the No. 2 slot. They have been just as good in singles play, with Rodriguez playing in the top two slots in Upstate's lineup, posting a 9-5 record and Roux adding a 9-4 singles mark in the middle of Upstate's lineup.
The ITA ranks the top 125 players nationally in singles play and the top 80 pairs in doubles play.
Riding an 11-match winning streak, the USC Upstate men's tennis team climbed into the ITA NCAA Division I Men's Team rankings, entering the poll at No. 72, marking the first time in the DI era that the Spartans have earned mention in the poll on Tuesday morning. The Spartans ended their Division II era in 2007, finishing the season ranked fifth in the final ITA DII rankings.
The Spartans are in the midst of their second of three matches at the Battle of the Beach, facing UMKC with the match beginning at 10 a.m. at UNC Wilmington. The Spartans will take on No. 71 UNC Wilmington on Thursday at 2 p.m.
