Owls Add Pair for 2016-17
6/14/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
By Chuck Pool (cpool@rice.edu) -
Rice head men's tennis coach Efe Ustundag announced on Tuesday the signing of a pair of newcomers, Gerardo Penchyna and Eric Rutledge, to bolster the Owls defense of their Conference USA crown.
Both players come to South Main with four years of eligibility, Penchyna after completing his junior career and graduating from high school and Rutledge after a redshirt freshman year at Wake Forest.
"We're thrilled to add both of these players to a great returning group," Ustundag said. "Gerardo is a tough fighter on the court and a very good doubles player who gives us great depth in both singles and doubles lineups. We tried to add Eric to our program a year ago but we are very happy that he is with us now. Once he makes up the match play he lost last year, he will be a big contributor to our program."
Penchyna is Pachuca, Mexico but graduated from Saddlebrook Prep in Wesley Chapel, Florida where he was a three-time player of the year and reached a career-high ITF junior ranking of 259. He has won one ITF singles and doubles title. He was ranked first in Mexico three times (2011, 2013, 2014) and represented Mexico in Junior Davis Cup from 2011-2013.
Rutledge is a graduate of All Saints' Episcopal School in Ft. Worth and becomes the fourth Texan on the Owls 2016-17 roster, joining David Warren, Jake Hansen and Emanuel Llamas. He was rated as a Blue Chip recruit in 2015 as a senior and ranked as the No. 2 recruit in Texas, one slot ahead of Hansen. The two were frequent partners in junior doubles competitions, and earned a silver ball at the Winter Nationals along with numerous Level 2 national tournaments.
