Patriotn Netters make NCAA's Top 10 lists

The Francis Marion University men's and women's tennis teams both earned program-best Top 10 rankings in the final 2008 Intercollegiate Tennis Association NCAA Division II Top 40 national polls released recently.  Several Patriot players were also included in the singles and doubles rankings.

The Patriot women ended the year ranked fifth, the program's highest listing ever.  That followed the team's best-ever 23-3 campaign that included an appearance in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in Houston, Texas.

FMU's only three losses were to the national champion (twice) and to the national runner-up (once).

The FMU men are ranked seventh in the final poll, also their highest ranking ever.  The Patriots were 19-6 and advanced to the NCAA Division II national finals for the first time since 2001, where they lost in the Elite Eight to the eventual national runner-up.  The 19 victories equaled the team's single-season record.

Individually, Patriot sophomore Tereza Sykorova (21-2) ranked 10th nationally among Division II women's singles players, while senior Sarka Vitkova (17-4) is 40th.  The doubles duo of Vitkova and senior Jenny Ludwig (15-9) ranked 12th nationally in Division II.

On the men's side, senior Franklyn Emmanuel (16-6) ended the season ranked 22nd, while freshman Oshada Wijemanne (19-4) completed his first season as the 36th-ranked singles player in Division II. 

The doubles team of Wijemanne and freshman Dilshod Sharifi (4-2), formed late in the year, ranked 17th.  They defeated the then-ranked No. 1 and No. 5 doubles teams during the Patriots' run to the Elite Eight.

Under the direction of 16th-year head coach Garth Thomson, the FMU women appear in the end-of-the-season national poll for the third straight year and for the ninth time in the past 13 seasons.  Thomson has compiled a 197-144 career coaching record while directing the Patriot women.

The Francis Marion men's program has appeared in the final national poll each of the past 13 years, and 14 of the past 15 seasons.  Thomson has amassed a 236-112 career coaching record at the helm of the Patriot men.