The Wabash tennis team has broken into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Central Region rankings. The Little Giants are 17th in the latest Division III rankings released March 18. Freshman Will Pelak is also ranked 10th in the regional singles rankings.
The ranking marks the first time the Wabash program has been recognized by the ITA since the Little Giants were ranked 18th in the Central Region at the end of the 2001 spring season.
The Little Giants enter the week with an overall record of 6-8. However, six of the eight losses have come against teams also ranked in the ITA's regional poll with two coming against nationally-ranked opponents. Wabash is one of four North Coast Athletic Conference teams ranked in the Central Region. The Little Giants lost 8-1 to nationally-ranked Kenyon and defeated Wooster --- ranked 18th in the latest Central Region poll --- 5-4. Wabash will play ninth-ranked Denison this Friday at the Collett Tennis Center at 4 p.m.
Pelak (right) is 10th in the singles players rankings after posting a dual-meet record of 8-5 as the number one singles player for the Little Giants. He is 2-3 versus regionally-ranked opponents this year and 0-1 against nationally-ranked players. Pelak defeated the University of Chicago's Will Zhang, ranked eighth in the latest ITA singles poll, in a match that was shortened due to an injury suffered by Zhang. Pelak also knocked off Wheaton's Josh Williams --- 18th in the latest rankings --- in the fall ITA Tournament.
Freshman Luke Bielawski did not make the regional poll despite a 9-0 record at number two singles for Wabash and a 13-3 record in singles play this year. He is 2-1 versus regionally-ranked opponents, defeating two ranked players in back-to-back matches in the fall ITA Tournament. His only singles loss this spring came last Saturday in the first flight for Wabash against Wartburg's Tylor Schlader.
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