Fresno State Athletics
Bulldogs open season at UCLA
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field
January 11, 1999
Fresno, Calif. - Upcoming Matches
Wed., January 13 at #7 UCLA 1 p.m.
Tue., January 26 at # 17 Arizona State 1 p.m.
Wed., January 27 at #45 Arizona 1:30 p.m.
Season Begins This Week
The Fresno State mens tennis team opens the 1999 dual match season this Wednesday, Jan. 13, as they travel to UCLA to take on the 7th-ranked Bruins. Last season the Bulldogs fell to the 2nd-ranked Bruins, 5-2, but received an upset win from junior Andy Scorteanu (Palm Springs, Calif.). Scorteanu defeated 9th-ranked Vince Allegre, 6-4, 6-2, propelling him into the national rankings at No. 53. Junior Olivier Le Jeune (Porspoder, France) defeated Alex Decret, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, for Fresno States only other point.
Bulldogs Receive Top 25 Ranking
For the first time under head coach Michael Hegarty, the Fresno State mens tennis team was able to secure a spot in the Intercollegiate Tennis Associations Top 25. The Bulldogs are ranked 22nd as a team in rankings released by the ITA on Dec. 8, 1998. To go along with the team success, three Fresno State players were ranked in the ITAs Top 100 singles rankings. Sophomore Peter Luczak (Melbourne, Australia), ranked 58th in the preseason, moved-up to 40th, while Le Jeune and Cheyne made their debut on the list at the 43rd and 60th spots, respectively.
Cheyne Concluded Fall Season With Indoor Bid
Junior Rob Cheyne (Wellington, New Zealand) was the surprise player of the Fall season as he reached the finals of the 1998 Rolex Regional Tournament in Las Vegas, and finished the Fall with a 9-2 record. Cheyne entered the tournament unseeded, but advanced to the singles finals before falling to top-seed Alex Waske of San Diego State, 6-3, 7-5. By reaching the singles final, Cheyne has earned an automatic bid into the National Individual Indoors in Dallas, Texas on February 4-8, 1999.
Dogs Earn Indoor Bid After Successful Regional After being named the top team in Region VII, following the regional tournament last November, the Fresno State mens tennis team earned a spot in the upcoming National Team Indoors in Seattle, Wash., Feb. 18-21. The Bulldogs will face 2nd-ranked Georgia in the first round and either 7th-ranked Texas or 10th-ranked Duke in the second round. Fresno States last appearance at the tournament was during the 1996-97 season, when the Bulldogs fell to UCLA, 5-2, and Kansas, 4-3, before defeating TCU, 5-1.
Head Coach Michael Hegarty
Head coach Michael Hegarty is in his second season as coach of the Bulldog mens tennis team after leading Fresno State to a 15-11 record last season, which included wins over California, Virginia Commonwealth and Boise State. Hegartys team last season secured the programs fifth consecutive NCAA regional tournament bid and they reached the semifinals of the Western Athletic Conference Championships. Fresno State finished the year as the 29th-ranked team in the country.
Scorteanu Returns To The Team
Andy Scorteanu has rejoined the Fresno State mens tennis team after sitting-out the Fall semester to fulfill academic requirements. Scorteanu was ranked 75th in the ITA preseason rankings after compiling a career high 20-wins for the Bulldogs last season.
