Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

ITA National Rankings

June 15, 2010-- The Intercollegiate Tennis Association released its final NCAA Division III men's tennis national rankings of the season on Tuesday with North Central College's Sam Sweeney ranking 13th in singles.

Sweeney cracks the national rankings for the first time in his career after becoming the first men's tennis player in school history to qualify for the NCAA Championships. Sweeney was among the 32 athletes chosen to the tournament hosted by Oberlin College on Mar. 28-30, where the junior advanced to the second round defeating Washington & Lee University's Hayden White, 6-3, 6-4, before falling to Middlebury College's Andy Peters, 6-2, 6-3.

Sweeney concluded the school year with a 23-5 record, including a 19-4 mark during the spring season, winning the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin No. 1 singles and doubles titles for the second consecutive season while also earning CCIW Player of the Year honors for the second straight year. Four of his five losses on the season came against nationally ranked opponents, compiling a 3-4 mark against players ranked in the ITA's final top 50.

The junior finished the 2010 campaign ranked third within the Central Region and was named the ITA Central Region Player to Watch. Sweeney and his doubles partner Matt Boguslawski were additionally ranked 16th in the Central Region's final rankings after posting an 18-3 record during the spring.

North Central finished the 2010 season with a 7-15 overall record and a 2-3 mark in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play before placing fourth at the CCIW Tournament.