Tuesday, April 18, 2006

TUSCULUM MEN PLACE THREE ON ALL-SAC TENNIS TEAM

Sergio Espinosa All-SAC First Team	Carlos Garcia All-SAC First Team	Antonio Oliver All-SAC Second Team

ROCK HILL, S.C. --- Three Tusculum College men's tennis players have been named to the All-South Atlantic Conference Team announced league officials Tuesday.

Sophomores Sergio Espinosa and Carlos Garcia garnered All-SAC First Team recognition, while freshman Antonio Oliver was selected to the Second Team

Espinosa, a native of Caracas, Venezuela, went 10-7 this year, including 3-3 in SAC matches. The 2005 SAC Freshman of the Year has won four of his last five outings and was named to the All-SAC squad last season.

Garcia (Caracas, Venezuela) has also earned his second straight All-SAC honor, posting a 14-5 singles record, including 6-0 in league contests. Garcia has been victorious in eight of his last nine outings, including four in a row to close out the regular season.

Antonio Oliver, a rookie from Madrid, Spain, accounted for a 10-7 record, including 5-1 in conference outings. On Mar. 28, he was named the SAC Player of the Week.

The Pioneers (12-7), ranked No. 37 in NCAA Division II, has been seeded second in this year's Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament. TC has earned a bye to Saturday's semifinal match in Jefferson City, Tenn., beginning at 9 a.m.

- SAC -

2006 All-South Atlantic Conference Men's Tennis Team

First Team

Ricardo Gutierrez, Carson-Newman

Jose Velazquez, Catawba

Diego Rodriguez, Mars Hill

Hector Rincon, Presbyterian

Kshitij Dwivedi, Presbyterian

Nick Osborne, Presbyterian

Sergio Espinosa, Tusculum

Carlos Garcia, Tusculum

Second Team

Rafael Soares, Carson-Newman

Preston Sneed, Carson-Newman

Sean Soltan, Catawba

John Allen, Mars Hill

Daryl Van Vuuren, Newberry

Aaron Chapman, Presbyterian

Antonio Oliver, Tusculum

Brandon Thornton, Wingate

SAC Coach of the Year: Patric Hynes, Presbyterian

SAC Freshman of the Year: Daryl Van Vuuren, Newberry

SAC Player of the Year: Hector Rincon, Presbyterian

SAC Scholar Athlete: Hector Rincon, Presbyterian