Nov. 28, 2007

PHOTO GALLERY

KENNESAW, Ga. - Head coach Brandon Padgett and the Kennesaw State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced the signing of the first-ever men's tennis recruiting class for the 2008-2009 season this week.

During the early signing period for the National Letters of Intent, KSU landed a very strong class for its first season in men's tennis since joining the Atlantic Sun Conference. Padgett received seven National Letters of Intent from high school seniors who have chosen to continue their athletic and academic careers with the Owls.

"We could not be more excited by the level of interest we have received for this team, and the level of play of this group of young men is going to allow for a very competitive team right from the start," said Padgett. "Coach [T.J.] Greggs and I have worked very hard to ensure that we have a solid lineup and were excited about these seven young men."

The Owls first class of signees includes four metro-Atlanta student-athletes, two Canadian players and one player from Michigan.

Ryan Bouttell of Kirkland, Quebec, comes to KSU from John Rennie High School. Bouttell has competed on the international level in the junior ranks, making it into the main draw in International Tennis Federation events and reaching a career-high ranking of No. 12 in the province of Quebec. He has wins over numerous players ranked inside the Top 10 in Canada and has also crossed the border to win two USTA events over the past two years.

Simon Janik of Mississauga, Ontario, and St. Aloyisius Gonzaga High School is one of the top recruits from Canada. Currently ranked at No. 708 in the world in Under 18s, he was also the doubles champion in the Vancouver ITF event in July of 2007. Janik has consistently been ranked in the Top 5 players in Ontario, and is currently the No. 9 player in Canada according to the ITF rankings. He chose Kennesaw State over Creighton, UNC-Greensboro, Elon, North Florida and Old Dominion.

Michael Langel of Roswell, Ga. has been the number one singles player at Roswell High School since his sophomore year and is a three-time team Most Valuable Player. He was also ranked in the Top 10 in Georgia by the USTA for 14-under and 16-under and was ranked within the Top 200 in the nation in the 14-under division.

Tyler Mills of Dunwoody, Ga. and Holy Innocents Episcopal High School, is currently ranked No. 8 in the state of Georgia and has achieved a national ranking of 175 by Tennis Recruiting. His cumulative high school record throughout his first three seasons was 42-4 and he has wins over several players ranked in the Top 100 in the junior circuit. Mills chose the Owls over schools such as UNC-Asheville, Army, East Carolina and Wofford.

Andrew Suesserman of Alpharetta, Ga. and St. Francis High School, is the No. 1 player for the two-time defending state champions in Georgia. Suesserman competes on the national level in several USTA Tournaments and has achieved a national ranking as high as No. 221.

Joining Suesserman in the Owls' first-ever class is his identical twin brother Justin. Justin is the No. 2 player for St. Francis and also competes in tournaments throughout the country. He has achieved a national ranking as high as No. 419.

Lawrence Washington of Canton, Mich., and Salem High School will round out the commitments for 2008. He has played No. 1 singles for Salem for three seasons, compiling an impressive 80-11 record. He was voted to the All-State Team his senior season, as well as the All-Area Team all four years of his prep career. This past fall, Washington also reached the Round of 16 at the Michigan High School State Tournament.

"All of these players are going to be able to compete at the collegiate level right away," said assistant coach T.J. Greggs. "We are very fortunate to have such a talented group of young men joining us next season. We are very proud of the caliber of student-athletes we have coming to KSU and are looking forward to molding this team into a conference title contender."