Drew Has Top Spot In Preseason Men's Tennis Poll

MADISON, N.J. - The Drew University men's tennis team has been named the favorite to claim the top position in the first season of competition in the Landmark Conference as selected in the Landmark Preseason Men's Tennis Poll. The head men's coaches and sports information directors at each institution that sponsors the sport were polled for the preseason ballot.

The Rangers were a near unanimous choice for the top spot as they earned a total of 82 points in the voting. The Catholic University of America was the closest competitor with 69 points to rank second. Moravian College and The University of Scranton round out the top half of the poll with 60 and 50 points respectively.

Drew hopes to carry its success from its previous conference into the Landmark as the Rangers currently hold a 56-match conference winning streak. The team earned its first NCAA Tournament berth in 2007 and finished the year 12-7 overall. Drew welcomes back a pair of All-Conference performers from last season.

The Cardinals have half their singles lineup returning from a team that earned a 10-8 record in 2007 and were fourth in the conference during the regular season. The Cardinals were 1-1 during the fall season and have a veteran lineup led by seniors John Dillon and Andrew Kracht.

Moravian consistently was picked among the top three teams to earn its 50 points in the balloting. The Greyhounds return an experienced team as four of their six singles regular return. Sophomore Ian Box was a first-team All-Conference Player last season as he helped the Greyhounds to a 9-6 finish.

Scranton features one of the youngest rosters in the conference but has enough talent to be picked fourth in the poll. The Royals went 5-6 in 2007 with a roster comprised entirely of freshmen, and this season have a roster with only freshmen and sophomores. One of the returning sophomores was an All-Conference choice last year.

Juniata College captures the fifth spot in the poll as the Eagles collected 42 points in the voting. Juniata has reached the conference postseason in each of the past two years and will have four regulars from its singles lineup back after the team went 5-6 in 2007.

Goucher College finished just four points behind Juniata to land in the sixth spot in the poll with 38. The Gophers posted a 7-9 record in 2007 and reached the semifinals of their conference tournament. One All-Conference performer returns from last season's team.

The United States Merchant Marine Academy is seventh in the poll, earning 36 points to come in just behind Goucher. USMMA did not utilize the fall season, but have one All-Conference player back on the roster from a team that went 6-7 overall and 3-4 in conference action in 2007.

Susquehanna holds the eighth spot in the poll as the Crusaders captured 15 points in the voting. Longtime Susquehanna women's tennis coach Bob Jordan takes over the head coaching position for the men's team this season. The Crusaders were 1-8 last season but have most of their leading singles players returning.

Preseason favorite Drew kicked off the spring season when the Rangers hosted the Drew Invitational Feb. 23-24. Landmark play will begin with three matches on Saturday March 15.