December 20, 2002

ITA Midwest Rankings-Doubles
1) Calkins/Delic- University of Illinois
2) Martinez/Barriga- Northern Illinois University
3) Axler/Schaechterle- Northwestern University
4) Conley/Nicodim- University of Louisville
5) Forsberg/vanWasbeek- Northern Illinois University

ITA Midwest Rankings- Singles
1) Amer Delic- University of Illinois
2) Phil Stolt- University of Illinois
3) Brian Wilson- University of Illinois
4) Jeremy Wurtzman- Ohio State University
5) Mike Calkins- University of Illinois
22) Raymond vanWasbeek- Northern Illinois University

ITA REGIONAL MEN'S TENNIS RANKINGS TABS TWO HUSKIE DOUBLES TEAMS IN TOP FIVE OF MIDWEST
DEKALB, IL--- One of the toughest things to do in sports is to meet high expectations, but that's a challenge that the Northern Illinois University men's tennis team and their head coach, Steven Rodecap, will gladly accept. The expectations for the Huskies will be high entering spring play after the Intercollegiate Tennis Association released their regional rankings on Wednesday (December 18).

The honor of the highest ranking from NIU goes to the doubles team of Erick Martinez (Amargura, Mexico / Preparatario Abierta) and Juan Pablo Barriga (Ario de Rosales Michoacan, Mexico / Colegio de Bachilleres del Estado de Michoacan). After reaching the finals of the fall ITA National Tournament last November, the duo was rewarded with a second place ranking in the midwest region. Martinez and Barriga became the first players in NIU history to reach a national final since the ITA began national tournaments in 1985. Now, the tandem holds the highest ITA ranking in Northern Illinois history.

"It's good to see that we have players competing at a high level," said Huskie net boss Rodecap. "It's a start for where we need to be, but we're not there yet. It's good to see that we're making strides. We want players regionally and nationally ranked in singles and doubles, but our main focus is the team."

Martinez and Barriga weren't the only members of the team to receive national recognition. Two steps behind them ranked fifth is Aaron Forsberg (Moline) and Raymond vanWasbeek (Vaasen, Netherlands / RSG de Springborn).
The two doubles teams make the Huskies the only school represented twice in the top five of the midwest rankings. When the Huskies start Mid-American Conference play in the spring they can also take some comfort from knowing that they are the only school in the MAC with players ranked in the top 25.

One thing that can be said about NIU veteran vanWasbeek is that he isn't satisfied very easily. In addition to being ranked fifth in doubles, the Huskies number one singles player cracked the top 25 in the midwest singles rankings.
The senior will start out the spring campaign in January tabbed 22nd in the region.

"They're hungry and they'll stay that way as long as they approach it the right way," Rodecap noted. "They realize that our record starting in January is 0-0. We've talked about a lot of different things since I've been here and it's been a long process, but I feel that we are moving in the right direction and this is evidence of that."

NIU starts their spring schedule in a month at Northwestern University when they go up against the University of Denver (January 17) and the Wildcats (January 19) at Evanston, IL.

-Copy by Matthew Sinason

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