Jan. 6, 2010

SKILLMAN, N.J. - Senior Christian Coley (Glastonbury, Conn.), the Marist men's tennis team's top singles player, was ranked 20th in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) in the Northeast Region on Tuesday. It is the first time a Red Fox has been ranked since Ralph Van de Plasse who played for the Red Foxes from 1998-2000.

Coley compiled an 11-5 record during a strong fall season, one where he reached the Round of 16 in the ITA Northeast Regional Tournament. During his run to the Round of 16 he defeated eighth-seeded Kenneth Au of Brown, who is ranked ninth in this edition of the Northeast Region's poll. His longest winning streak of the fall was three consecutive matches, which happened on two occasions.

"Christian is a player that does not have `senioritis' because of his extra hard work and training," head coach Tim Smith said. "He has had significant wins against quality opponents; even some who are ranked ahead of him in this poll."

Marist will open its spring campaign at the Army Open from Jan. 22-24 at the Litchenberg Tennis Center in West Point, N.Y.

ITA Northeast Regional Rankings - January 5, 2010
1. Sven Vloedgraven, Binghamton
2. Jonathon Wong, Columbia
3. Mark Powers, Yale
4. Eugen Brazdil, Penn
5. Alexi Chijoff-Evans, Harvard
6. Wojtek Starakiewicz, Buffalo
7. Mihai Nichifor, Columbia
8. Matija Pecotic, Princeton
9. Kenneth Au, Brown
10. Milo Hauk, St. John's
11. Andy Gauthier, Cornell
12. Dan Freeman, Dartmouth
13. Thomas Nolan, Boston College
14. Haig Schneiderman, Columbia
15. Jon Jaklitsch, Cornell
16. Connor Dawson, Yale
17. John Huang, Yale
18. Ivan Rummel, Stony Brook
19. Jon Fife, Cornell
20. Christian Coley, Marist