FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Gary Holden, Sports Info. Director
(540) 365-4306

April 2, 2005


Men's Tennis Hosts Bud Skeens Memorial Tournament
Paine 2nd at #5 Singles, James 3rd at #6 Singles

FERRUM, VA – The Ferrum College men's team hosted its annual Bud Skeens Memorial Tournament this afternoon, placing fourth in the four-team event.

The event is named in honor of former Ferrum Tennis Coach Col. Earl “Bud” Skeens, who led Ferrum to a 345-41 record (.894) during his 27-year career at the helm of the Panther net program.  Skeens was inducted into the National Junior College Men’s Tennis Hall of Fame in the spring of 2004.

          Tournament Final Results (PDF file)

Methodist College won the event with 25 points and five titles.  Roanoke College was second with 17 points and a pair of titles, followed by Guilford College with 10 points and one title, and Ferrum with four points.

Sophomore Wilson Paine (Maryville, Tenn./Maryville) placed second at #4 singles.  Paine defeated Ryo Kawai of Guilford 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the semifinals.  In the championship match, Paine fell 6-1, 6-1 to Methodist's David Hardy.

Junior Thomas James (Lawrenceville, Ga./Collins Hill) placed third at #6 singles.  James fell 7-5, 6-0 to Roanoke's Tim VanRheenen in the semifinal.  He then won a hard-fought three-set battle with Guilford's Mike Muir in the consolation match, winning 7-6 (7-3), 5-7, 1-0 (11-9).

Sophomore Ryan Foster (Greensboro, N.C./So. Guilford) and freshman Kevin Board (Rocky Mount, Va./Franklin County) also placed third at #3 doubles.  The pair lost 8-2 Roanoke's VanRheenen and Jon Byerly in the semifinals, then won 8-6 over Guilford's Cheyenne Space and Bobby Iordanov in the consolation match.

The Panthers return to action Sunday, April 3, with a USA South Athletic Conference doubleheader with the Methodist College men's and women's teams.  The men begin at 12 noon, while the women are slated to start at 1 p.m.  For more information, please contact the Ferrum College Sports Information Office at (540) 365-4306.
 

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