#20 Presbyterian Rolls Past Carson-Newman 9-0 to Clinch 2004 SAC Men's Tennis Regular Season Title
April 9, 2004

Courtesy Presbyterian College Sports Information Office

CLINTON, S.C. - The #20th-ranked Presbyterian College Blue Hose defeated the Eagles of Carson-Newman College 9-0 in South Atlantic Conference men's tennis action Friday morning to clinch the 2004 South Atlantic Conference regular season title.

PC improves to 14-3 overall and 6-0 in the SAC while Carson-Newman falls to 5-11 overall, 4-2 in league action.

The win gives the Blue Hose their second straight undefeated (6-0) and third overall regular season title since 2001. PC will enter the 2004 SAC Men's Tennis Championships on April 22-24 as the top seed and will receive a bye in the first round.

The Blue Hose opened the match winning all three doubles matches including sophomore Hector Rincon (London, England) and junior Alistair Morgan (Cheltenham, England) coming back from a 4-1 deficit to defeat C-N's duo of senior Blake Ryan (Maryville, Tenn.) and sophomore Rafael Soares (Brazil) 8-6 at #3 doubles.

PC's Rincon finished his second straight SAC regular season undefeated as he rolled past sophomore Ricardo Gutierrez (Brazil) 6-2, 6-1 at #1 singles to put the Blue Hose ahead 4-0. Freshman Paul Ratchford (Delta, British Columbia) defeated Ryan 6-4, 6-0 at #2 singles while sophomore Kshitij Dwivedi (New Delhi, India) defeated Soares 6-2, 6-4 at #3 singles sophomore Nick Osborne (Hutton Rudby, England) defeated junior Joaquin Goni (Argentina) 6-3, 6-1 at #5 singles. Morgan defeated sophomore Travis Bauguess (Johnson City, Tenn.) 7-5, 6-3 at #6 singles while senior Graeme Lauriston (Mission Beach, Australia) came back from a first set loss to defeat senior David Blank (Knoxville, Tenn.) 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 at #2 singles.

#20 PRESBYTERIAN 9, CARSON-NEWMAN 0

#1 Singles -- Ricardo Gutierrez Hector Rincon PC 6-2, 6-1
#2 Singles -- Blake Ryan Paul Ratchford PC 6-4, 6-0
#3 Singles -- Rafael Soares Kshitij Dwivedi PC 6-2, 6-4
#4 Singles -- David Blank Graeme Lauriston PC 4-6, 6-1, 6-2
#5 Singles -- Joaquin Goni Nick Osborne PC 6-3, 6-1
#6 Singles -- Travis Bauguess Alistair Morgan PC 7-5, 6-3

#1 Doubles -- Ryan/Soares Lauriston/Ratchford PC 8-2
#2 Doubles -- Goni/Gutierrez Dwivedi/Osborne PC 8-6
#3 Doubles -- Blank/Bauguess Morgan/Rincon PC 8-6

Records: #20 Presbyterian College 14-3, 6-0 SAC; Carson-Newman College 5-11, 4-2 SAC