Tennis Team Perseveres Under Strong Leadership
March 31st, 2004
By Archived Story
In his 15th year as head men’s tennis coach at the University of Minnesota, David Geatz has proven himself as a premier coach in the Big Ten. He led the Gophers to five Big Ten championships, was Big Ten Coach of the Year three times and helped clinch numerous births in the NCAA tournament. This year is not one of large successes for the Gophers, but with Geatz at the helm, Gopher fans can look forward to a team that will not give up. Players will continue to work hard and put in their time during the off-season to prove themselves next year.
The team is 2-1 in Big Ten conference play. The Gophers lost to Illinois in the Big Ten, but struggled in their non-conference games, posting a .500 record. After 11 straight years of reaching the NCAA tournament, they believe this year will not be the one to break that streak. The team is rated in the top 30 in the country, but it is down from the success attained last season when it was rated as high as 10th. This team is not discouraged; instead, they work harder to hone their skills.
“This is such a great group of guys on this team,” Geatz said. “That’s what makes it fun. These kids love to play tennis and have fun doing it. The camaraderie within the team is great.”
The top four players for the U of M are Aleksey Zharinov who plays the number one spot, Chris Wettengel who is the number two, Avery Ticer in the three spot followed by Andres Osorio. The team will lose five seniors on the twelve-man roster, putting pressure on the recruiting class. April marks signing day for the recruits, so fans have to wait until then to see the prospective student-athletes. But Geatz is hopeful, and said a strong recruiting class will help the team rise again and receive a top-20 rating.
Illinois is the strongest team in the Big Ten, remaining undefeated to this point. With the Big Ten tournament coming the last week of April, the Gophers have time to prepare. And with some hard work and a little bit of luck, coach Geatz believes that the Gophers may have a chance of dethroning the Fighting Illini.
