June 25, 2008
The University of Louisville men's tennis team finished seventh, and placed two singles players and a doubles team in the 2008 Final Midwest Regional rankings. Austen Childs was seventh and sophomore David Simon was 28th while the freshman doubles team of Austen Childs and Simon Childs (no relation) was 11th in the region.
"We are pleased to be among the top seven teams in the Midwest Region," said U of L head coach Rex Ecarma. "This is one of the better regions and the country and the ranking is respectable. Our underclassmen being ranked in the top 30 is quite an accomplishment. There are a lot of good seniors that never get ranked that high in their careers. Obviously, we are looking to move up next season with our returning players and recruiting class. I am excited about next year's roster and the personalities we have on the team. It will be a lot of fun."
Austen Childs (Mt. Maunganui, New Zealand) finished the season at No.43 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association singles after posting a 25-14 overall record and became the first freshman and only the fourth player in U of L men's tennis history to compete in the NCAA singles championship. The 2008 All-BIG EAST Tournament singles team member was the University of Louisville's Freshman Athlete of the Year and was the Midwest Region Rookie of the Year.
David Simon (Vienna, Austria) posted a 20-13 overall record and was 14-9 in dual matches, playing most at No. 2. Simon was also selected to the 2008 All-BIG EAST Tournament singles team.
The tandem of
Austen Childs and
Simon Childs (Hillington, England) posted a 10-5 overall mark as Louisville's No. 1 team and finished the season at No. 47 in the ITA doubles rankings after earned a spot in the 2008 NCAA Doubles Championship. On Feb. 26, they debuted at No. 23, becoming the first freshman team in Louisville history to earn a top 25 ranking.
The Cards completed the 2008 season with a 17-8 overall record, finished fourth in the conference and was No. 48 in the final ITA team rankings released on May 23.
