APRIL 28, 2008 --- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

4 Men’s Tennis Players Headed To Nationals
SMC Men’s Team Ranked 21st In NJCAA 

SPARTANBURG, SC -- Four members of the 21st ranked Spartanburg Methodist College men's tennis team have qualified to compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s men’s national tennis tournament. 

The national tournament is being held May 12-16 in Plano, TX. 

Competing from the SMC men’s team will be Christian Ranguelov, of Sofia, Bulgaria; Drew Shelley, of Mullins, SC; Gordon Arledge, of Camden, SC; and Andrew Jackson, of Columbia, SC, all of whom are freshmen. 

• Ranguelov ended the spring season with 9 singles wins and 4 doubles wins.
• Shelley claimed 8 singles and 7 doubles wins.
• Arledge won 7 singles and 6 doubles matches.
• Jackson posted 6 singles and 4 doubles wins.

The SMC men’s team is ranked 21st in NJCAA polls released last week by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. 

The team posted a 6-5 record for the 2008 spring season, with its first ever shutout – over Lenoir-Rhyne College on March 15. 

In the 2007 preseason, the team went 3-0 in scrimmages. 

“Our men had a very competitive schedule this year, but held their own against some very strong teams. We’re very impressed with and proud of their performance, and wish them the best of luck at nationals,” says SMC Athletic Director Mark Perdue. 

Spartanburg Methodist College has 14 intercollegiate teams that compete in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association, which includes colleges in the Carolinas, Virginia, and West Virginia.  

The College is in its 97th year of providing a quality education to students in a Christian environment. More than 90 percent of SMC graduates continue their education at other institutions of higher learning. 

For more information, contact Athletic Director Mark Perdue at (864) 587-4237. 

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