Jan. 9, 2013

BERKELEY - The California men's tennis team garnered the No. 14 spot in the Campbell/Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division I Rankings, the ITA announced on Jan. 3. The Golden Bears also earned four singles and two doubles rankings from the ITA, which ranked Cal No. 13 at the end of the 2011-12 season after the Bears reached the NCAA Championships round of 16.

In singles, senior Christoffer Konigsfeldt nabbed the No. 42 ranking, junior Ben McLachlan is ranked No. 66, sophomore Chase Melton claimed the No. 92 ranking and freshman Mad Engsted wound up at No. 93. In doubles, Ben McLachlan earned two different rankings - at No. 7 with senior Riki McLachlan, his brother, and at No. 59 with Konigsfeldt.

The Bears produced plenty of highlights in the fall season. They included Ben McLachlan winning the singles title at the USTA/ITA Northwest Regional Championships; the McLachlans combining to capture the regional doubles crown; Cal collecting the team trophy for the most number of wins at the regional; Ben McLachlan playing in singles and the McLachlans playing in doubles at the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships; and sophomore Gregory Bayane winning the singles championship at the UCSB Classic and Aggie Invitational. Most recently, head coach Peter Wright claimed one of the most prestigious awards in college tennis in the USTA/ITA National Campus & Community Outreach Award.

Wright's 14th-ranked Bears open the New Year with the National Collegiate Tennis Classic that takes place from Jan. 18-20 in Palm Springs, Calif. They open their 2013 home schedule with the ITA Kick-Off Weekend from Jan. 25-26.