Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Saluki duos ranked nationally and regionally by ITA
01/05/2016 | 12:00:00 | Men's Tennis
Tony McDaniel
SIUsalukis.com
Skillman, NJ.--- The Intercollegiate Tennis Association released its Oracle/ITA Division I Men's Collegiate Tennis Rankings on Tuesday and included the Southern Illinois duo of Jonny Rigby and Michal Kianicka as the No. 41 ranked doubles team in the nation. In the Central Region, Kianicka and Rigby are ranked fourth as a doubles team. The Saluki duo of Alex Pozo and Wilder Pimentel were also ranked in the Central Region's top-10 at the number seven spot.
"We had a very good fall tournament season and these rankings are a result of that," said coach Dann Nelson. "These guys worked extremely hard to achieve the goal of obtaining a ranking."
Rigby and Kianicka posted a 7-2 record in doubles matches in the fall while Pozo and Pimentel were a perfect 4-0. Both of Rigby and Kianicka's losses in the fall came to duos that are ranked in the top-10 in their respective regions.
This is the first time an SIU doubles team has appeared in the top-60 teams in the nation since January of 2012 when Brandon Florez and Martijn Admiraal were ranked no. 42.
For Rigby and Kianicka, their first appearance in the ITA's national rankings is just another thing to add to an already impressive doubles resume. The two won the Missouri Valley Conference doubles title in 2013. Their .760 win percentage puts them in ninth all-time at SIU. The two are on pace to pass Fabiano Ramos and Mickey Maule's mark of 44 career wins as a doubles team to set a new school record by the end of the season.
This is Pozo and Pimentel's first season playing together, but they have already proven they can win titles at this level. Pimentel and Pozo won the Flight B Doubles Draw at the Purdue Fall Invitational in September. Rigby and Kianicka won the Flight A Draw at that same tournament.
SIU was not the only team from the MVC to be included in the first rankings release of 2016. Drake and Wichita State are nationally ranked at No. 35 and No. 69 respectively. Wichita State's doubles partnership of Haru Inoue and Miroslav Herzan, who Rigby and Kianicka defeated 8-4 at the USTA/ITA Central Regional in October, were ranked No. 34 in the national doubles rankings and third in the Central Region's doubles rankings.
Louisville and Tennessee, two teams SIU will face later this spring, are nationally ranked at No. 36 and No. 44 respectively.
"I am proud of these guys and the entire team for their efforts in the fall," Nelson said. " We have to put the fall behind us and focus on the bigger picture; team success."
Players Mentioned
