FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 9-30-99

AASU HOSTS ITA MEN'S TENNIS SOUTHEAST REGIONAL THIS WEEKEND

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Seven of the nation's top 30 NCAA Division II singles players from the 1999 season will be participating in the ITA Southeast Region Men's Tennis Championships on the campus of Armstrong Atlantic State from Saturday, Oct. 2, to Monday, Oct. 4.

Sixty-four players representing 13 schools will compete in singles and doubles play for the chance to advance to the Rolex/ITA National Championships in Memphis, Tenn., on October 21-24.

The top seed in the tournament is Tobias Huning from Lander University. Huning finished the 1999 spring season ranked No. 3 in the nation and was a key component on Lander's NCAA Division II National Championship squad. Huning's teammate, Hans Birger Nordstrom, is the second seed and was ranked No. 10 in the nation last season. The other seeded players are: No. 3, Columbus State's Maruicio Roveri (#14 ranking), No. 4 Lazlo Leiter of Francis Marion (#17 ranking), No. 5, host AASU's Stefan Wirtz (#25 ranking), No. 6, Jean-Francois Giguere of Georgia College & State (#26 ranking), No. 7, AASU's Blaise Tribolet, - a finalist in last year's Southeast Regional - and No. 8, North Florida's Juraj Ciz (#35 ranking).

Lander's doubles team of Huning and Nordstrom are seeded No. 1 as Huning was a part of the No. 2-ranked doubles team in the nation last season. Francis Marion's Andrew Graaf and Glynn Hulley are seeded No. 2 and were the No. 13-ranked doubles team in the spring. AASU's top doubles team of Wirtz and Frederic Heitz are seeded No. 3. Wirtz teamed with Christian Witt last season and captured the doubles title, advancing to the Rolex Nationals.

Other teams sending players to the ITA Southeast Regional include: Augusta State, University of Alabama-Huntsville, USC Spartanburg, USC Aiken, Morehouse, Lincoln Memorial and the State University of West Georgia.

Play begins at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday and continues through Monday.

- Pirates -