ARKADELPHIA- After recording an 18-3 record and claiming their seventh-straight Gulf South Conference West Division Men’s Tennis crown, Ouachita Baptist finished the 2010 season No. 4 nationally in the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings, officials announced on Wednesday.
The Tigers earned a berth to the 2010 NCAA Championships and defeated then-No. 8 Florida Southern, 5-2, in second round action. The quest for the programs first national title ended when Ouachita lost to eventual national champion Barry, 5-0, in the South No. 2 Region final at Miami Shores, Florida at the Buccaneer Tennis Facility.
Among the three losses during the 2010 season, all three were to national championship participants in Barry and national runner-up Valdosta State. During the regular season, Ouachita’s first loss of the season came at the hands of No. 2 Valdosta State (21-2) on March 14, 7-2. After defeating Barry (25-4), 5-4, on March 24, Ouachita lost to Valdosta State for the third-consecutive season in the GSC Championships final, 5-0.
Sophomore Jean Charles Diame, the 2010 West Division Player of the Year, finishes the season at No. 8 in the country in singles play, while senior Jan Plewinski ranks No. 26, junior Till Heilshorn at No. 34 and sophomore Pierre Tafelski at No. 43 nationally. In doubles action, the duo of freshman Tobias Kuhlmann and Heilshorn finished the 2010 season at No. 25 nationally. Kuhlmann also earned honors as the 2010 GSC West Division Freshman of the Year, while Heilshorn, Plewinski and Tafelski were all named to the 2010 All-GSC West Division squad along with Diame.
