Men’s Tennis: Rodd, Park Selected for 2006 Individual Championships
COMPLETE TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET
SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Swarthmore senior Zac Rodd has been selected as one of 32 participants that will compete in the 2006 NCAA Division III Individual Tennis Championships on May 20-22. Rodd and classmate Brian Park have also been selected to participate in the doubles championship, squaring off against 15 other tandems at the NCAA Championship week hosted by the University of Mary Washington.
The Garnet (8-10), ranked 21st in the recent FILA Collegiate tennis rankings, have advanced to the quarterfinals of the Division III Team Championships and will face top-ranked Gustavus Adolphus on Wed., May 17 at 9:00 a.m. at the University of Mary Washington. Swarthmore.
Gustavus is making its seventh consecutive trip to the NCAA quarterfinals, defeating Coe (7-0) in round one and Carthage (7-0) in the second round. The Gusties captured the 2006 ITA Indoor Championships on Feb. 26, defeating UC-Santa Cruz 6-1 in the Swanson Tennis Center. The Gusties captured both the 1980 and 1982 national titles but have not won a title since the NCAA moved to the dual-match, single-elimination format in 1983. Gustavus has finished second twice (1984, 1990), third twice (2002-03) and fourth four times (1996-97, 2001, 2005) during that span.
It is the first quarterfinal appearance by the Garnet since the brackets were expanded in the early 1990s, the last coming in 1991. Swarthmore is making its 30th appearance in the NCAA field having won titles in 1977, 1981, 1985 and 1990, while finishing second in 1989. The teams have met twice in the NCAA Tournament with the Gusties winning both meetings - 6-3 in a 1984 semifinal match and 6-1 in a 1995 first-round match.
This is Rodd's second appearance in the NCAA Individual Championships - he fell in the first round to Washington (Mo.) University's Ari Rosenthal 6-1, 6-1 in Lewiston, Maine on May 16, 2004. This fall, Rodd, owner of a 10-12 record knocked off three seeded opponents at the Wilson ITA Southeast Regional Men's Tennis Championships to make the finals.
It is the first doubles appeareance for Rodd and Park, ranked fifth in the Atlantic South region in the last poll, who posted a record of 9-11 this season, including wins over two of the teams in the Championship field.