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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Four Rebel Netters Make NCAA Individual Championships
5/1/2003 | Men's Tennis
May 1, 2003
OXFORD, Miss. - Four members of the No. 8 ranked Ole Miss men's tennis team made the NCAA Individual Championships, as the selections were released Thursday by the NCAA Tennis Committee.
Alex Hartman, Catalin Gard and Paul Ciorascu will represent Ole Miss in the 64-player singles field, while Hartman and Claes Lindholm will be among the 32-team doubles draw. Ole Miss was second with four players represented in the individual championships. Illinois and Baylor each had five.
Hartman, ranked No. 7 in the nation in singles, is making his fourth straight NCAA appearance. He heads into the NCAA Championships with a 25-9 overall record. Hartman earned All-SEC first team honors this season, becoming the first Rebel to earn All-SEC honors in each of his four years.
Making his first appearance in the NCAA individual championships, Gard comes in ranked No. 23 with a 27-9 overall record. He has been ranked among the top 30 all season and earned All-SEC second team honors.
One of the most improved players in the country, Ciorascu has been rewarded for an outstanding season by claiming a spot in the singles championship. Ciorascu, ranked No. 30, takes a team-leading 38-10 record into the NCAAs. He posted an impressive 18-2 dual match record and went undefeated in the SEC on his way to receiving All-SEC accolades. Ciorascu became only the second Rebel to go undefeated in the SEC.
Hartman will team up with Lindholm in the doubles championship. The pair are currently ranked No. 17 in the nation and carry a 19-7 overall record into the NCAAs. Lindholm joined Hartman on the All-SEC first team.
"It has truly been an outstanding season for our tennis program, winning the SEC West and being selected to host the upcoming NCAA Regionals," head coach Billy Chadwick said. "At the heart of our success has been the play of Alex, Cat, Paul and Claes. They represent a very elite group of student-athletes selected to compete for an NCAA Championship."
First up for the Rebels is the NCAA Team Championships. Ole Miss will host one of the 16 regionals May 10-11 at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center, with the winner advancing to the "Sweet Sixteen" in Athens, Ga., May 17-20. The individual championships will begin May 21 and run through May 25.