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AU Men's Tennis Tabbed to Claim Third Patriot League Title
Eagle squad returns three All-League players

Rookie of the Year Juancarlo Vazquez and the AU men's tennis team has been tabbed to once again win the Patriot League Championship.

Feb. 9, 2004

WASHINGTON – The American University men’s tennis team has been tabbed to win the Patriot League Championship for the 2004 spring season, as voted by the league sports information directors.

Since joining the Patriot League in 2000-01, the Eagles have dominated the field, capturing championships the last two years. With eight returning players, including three All-League performers, the Eagles will look to once again compete for the Patriot League crown.

Sophomore Juancarlo Vazquez (San Juan, Puerto Rico/Centre Educativo de Superior Vocational/Saint John’s) took home the Patriot League Rookie of the Year honors in 2002-03, as well as becoming the first American University men’s tennis player to be individually ranked, at 116. Vazquez will look to make his sophomore season just as successful, playing in the No. 1 singles and No. 2 doubles position.

Also returning to help the Eagles will be the doubles pair of Tushar Garg (Mumbai, India / Bradenton Academy) and Andreas Kulcsar (Nuremberg, Germany/Neues Gum. Nuremberg). The two seniors have led the Eagles in the No. 1 doubles spot for the last two years and are currently vying for the AU record of career doubles wins (42).

The Eagles, out to a 2-2 start, will begin Patriot League play against Lehigh on March 27, but will continue their difficult non-conference schedule against UPenn, Feb. 14 at 2:30 p.m.

The Patriot League Tournament will be held April 24-25, at the site of the highest seed and the winner will receive a berth to the NCAA tournament.

American University, which fields a 19-sport NCAA Division I athletics program featuring 10 women’s sports and nine for men, completed its third year of membership in the Patriot League. Since joining the Patriot League, the University has captured league championships in men’s cross country, women’s cross country, women’s lacrosse, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, field hockey and women’s volleyball, and a regular-season title in men’s basketball.

Chartered by an act of Congress in 1893, American University features students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and more than 160 nations worldwide.