May 11, 2003
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The Maryland men's tennis team recorded a ten win season this year for the first time in a decade with the help of head coach Jim Laitta's three freshmen recruits. Two rookies, Pierre Rudder (Port of Spain, Trinidad) and Scott Peters (Hopkinton, Ma.) tied for second in singles wins this season with 11 each. The Terps are looking to build upon the success of the 2003 season with the signing of Chase Dawson and Scott Fink.
Chase Dawson, from Timonium, MD, joins the Terps as the third-ranked recruit in the state of Maryland. Dawson and rising junior Troy Demers (Annapolis, MD), will be the only two state residents on the Terps' roster this season. With an aggressive playing style, the lefty has achieved a United States Tennis Association (USTA) ranking of 10 in the Mid Atlantic. Dawson is also an extremely strong doubles player and has reached as high as six in national rankings. A 2002 member of the Mid Atlantic Junior Davis Cup Team, Dawson intends to major in Biology/Pre Med. He was the top seed of the Dulaney High School tennis team for three years under coach Sharon Spangenberg. As a sophomore Dawson reached the state finals. During his senior year, he participated in numerous national tournaments including the Easter Bowl in Palm Springs, Ca. Dawson will graduate in June from Dulaney high school with a 3.25 GPA.
Scott Fink, a Roslyn Heights, N.Y. native, is the second-ranked recruit from New York. Fink is ranked second in the East by the USTA and is consistently among the top 80 nationally. He was a New York State high school singles finalist in June 2002. Scott is currently ranked number two in the18s in the Eastern Tennis Association rankings for May 2003. Mo Schneider coached Fink at Wheatley high school in Roslyn, N.Y.
