June 17, 2004

Raleigh, N.C. - Bolstered by an improving men's tennis squad that nearly doubled the number of individual matches won from the previous season, NC State pulled in an impressive recruiting class while jumping to 13th in the latest Region II rankings. The recruiting class consists of three standout junior players, Nick Cavaday of Kent, England, Darragh Rowan from Dublin, Ireland and Ben Zink from Lancaster, Penn.

"This entire incoming class is a very strong academic class and a group of kids that will add to the Wolfpack tradition that we are in the process of building," head coach Jon Choboy said.

"The regional ranking is a decent start for us, and after you throw in these three players into our returning group of players, we are ready for the 2004-05 campaign to start."

Cavaday is a seasoned junior player who has a current International Tennis Federation (ITF) ranking of 96 and earned his first ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) singles points by making the round of 16 at the ATP Bournemouth $15,000 Futures event. He defeated the former world No. 7 David Brewer to advance before losing to Gael Monfils, the world's No. 1 junior player.

Cavaday currently holds an ATP ranking of 1,407 in the world, and also played No. 2 singles for the Kent Junior County Cup team that won the National Championship in 2004. He defeated his first top 500 ATP player at the Subiton Trophy, a $50,000 challenge event. He reached the quarterfinals at the Sutton and Oxford British Tour, and in January of 2003, he won the doubles tournament in the bangladeshi Grade 3 ITF event. He reached the doubles final of the Calcutta ITF as well as making it to the semifinals in the singles draw. In the French ITF Grade 2 event, he was a semifinalist in doubles.

He also won the 18-under National Grand Prix and made it to the semifinals of the Grand Prix British Tour in Redbridge.

"Nick is a fierce competitor who can play singles and doubles equally well," Choboy remarked. "Although he is only 18, Nick has a wealth of national and international experience while posting strong results in those tournaments. His junior team experiences, attitude and understanding of what it takes to be apart of a successful team has helped him compete and defeat seasoned ATP players and has prepared him to smoothly transition into collegiate tennis."

Darragh Rowan will become the second player on the Wolfpack team from Dublin, Ireland, joining All-ACC standout Conor Taylor in 2004-05. Rowan is a hard worker who dedicates 25 + hours a week to training and conditioning, and was a two-time national champion in singles (U-16 and U-14). In 18-under competition, Rowan was a national junior doubles finalist and a singles quarterfinalist as well as making the quarterfinals of the men's indoor national championships.

He won his second singles championship when he was 16, and was an outdoor singles and doubles semi-finalist as well. He won his first singles championship in 14-under play, and was a doubles finalist as well. He won the national ranking tournament, and represented Ireland at the Four Nations Championships.

"Darragh is a serious and dedicated tennis player with an exceptional work ethic," Choboy said about Rowan. "He has a very offensive style of play and has had a successful national junior career. We feel that he is a player that will continue to improve in our system."

Rounding out the current class is Ben Zink, a talented prep from Lancaster, Penn. Zink won five sectional titles in his junior career, and was the No. 1 player in the middle states section of the boy's 18's in 2003. He won the national Copper Bowl tournament in 2003 as well, and a 2001 National Open in Wayland, Mass.

At the close of 2002, Zink was ranked No. 76 in the country and and No. 2 in the middle states in the 16's, winning four matches at Winter Supernationals. Repeated his four match streak the following year in 18-under competition, reaching the round of 16 again in the tournament.

"We are very happy to have Ben join our Wolfpack tennis team," Choboy said. "We saw him play in numerous tournaments and matches and feel that he has the physical tools and training, as well as the drive, determination and character that will add to the overall direction of the program."

"This entire recruiting class for 2004 is very strong academically and is a group of kids that will add to the Wolfpack tradition that we are in the process of building," Choboy concluded.

Notes: In addition to the release of the No. 13 ranking for the NC State men's tennis team in Region II, NCAA alternate and All-ACC player Conor Taylor was also a regional selection ... Taylor is ranked No. 12 in the region, and has defeated five of the 11 players ahead of him on the list in head-to-head matches ... Also making their way into the rankings was the doubles tandem of senior Jon Davis and sophomore Will Shaw, who earned a regional ranking as the No. 14 doubles team in the Region II ...