Bucknell's Men's and Women's Tennis Teams Announce 2008-2009 Captains
Sept. 13, 2008
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell seniors Daniel Bednarek (Haworth, N.J./Bergen Catholic), Jonathan Brenner (Manhasset, N.Y./Chaminade) and Ryan Sandburg (Orange, Calif./Canyon) have been named captains of the 2008-2009 men's tennis team, while senior Paulina Gamboa (Mexico City, Mexico/Greengates School) has been named captain of the women's team, tennis head coach Rebecca Helt announced Saturday. Bednarek won 12 of his 13 singles matches last year and finished 4-2 in doubles. For his career he has a 75-54 overall record (37-30 in singles, 38-24 in doubles). Seventy-five wins ranks 14th in Bison history, while his 38 doubles wins place him in a tie for 12th. "Dan has been one of those players that a coach wishes it had 10 just like him," Helt said. "Dan's work ethic, starting his freshman year, made an immediate impact on the entire team. What makes that even more impressive is that Dan has not been a consistent starter, yet has always been ready to step into the line-up whenever needed. Not every athlete is willing to work that hard when he or she is not a starter. Dan will influence his teammates everyday to work hard and always be prepared for the big moment."
Brenner has a 98-85 career record (40-41 in singles, 58-44 in doubles), just two wins shy of becoming the seventh men's tennis player in Bucknell history with 100 all-time victories. Brenner's 58 wins as a doubles player, ranking him fourth in program history, while his 40 wins as a singles player is tied for 13th with teammate Zach Hascoe (Greenwich, Conn./Brunswick High School). Over the course of the 2007-2008 season, Brenner had a 15-18 record in singles and 23-14 in doubles.
"Jon's passion for team unity and his obvious growth as a player over the last three years has earned him a great deal of respect from his coaches and teammates," Helt said. "He is more than willing to share his experiences, both on the court and in the classroom, with the younger players in an effort them to mentor them through a difficult transition into college tennis. I'm so proud of the strides that Jon has made over the years and his team spirit will be a contributing factor to our success this year." Sandburg already has the second most victories in Bucknell men's tennis history with 117, behind only 2008 graduate Ira Reibeisen. He has a 48-49 record in singles play and 69-36 in doubles. His 69 doubles wins is tied with Reibeisen for first all-time, while his singles total currently ranks him seventh in Bison history. Last year, Sandburg compiled a 46-27 overall record, including a 28-12 record in doubles matches. He was named Second Team All-Patriot League for his efforts. "Ryan has experienced some difficult hurdles throughout his career, but his determination to work through them has put him in a position to break Bucknell's doubles record and all-time victory records," Helt said. "He works just as hard in the classroom and has earned Patriot League Honor Roll recognition every semester since his freshman year." On the women's side, Gamboa was named First Team All-Patriot League in 2006-2007 and 2007-2008. She has a 96-96 career over record, just four wins shy of becoming the seventh women's tennis player in Bucknell history with 100 all-time victories. Gamboa has 47 singles wins, placing her in a tie for eighth in Bison history, while her 49 doubles wins rank fifth. "One of the most important qualities I look for in a captain is that he or she leads by example every single day: on the court, off the court and in the classroom," Helt said. "Paulina sets an example that I am proud to have younger players emulate. She has consistently raised her level of intensity and work ethic on the court over the years, never bringing less than 100 percent. She is an engineering major, one of the most demanding majors at Bucknell, yet she has managed to become one of the most successful tennis players in Bucknell history. She is absolutely selfless when it comes to team issues and has always put the team's best interest before her own. I couldn't think of a better Bucknell student-athlete role model than Paulina." The Bucknell men's and women's teams begin play Saturday and Sunday with the Bloomsburg Invitational in Bloosmburg, Pa. On Friday, Sept. 19, the men's team will travel to Providence, R.I., to compete in the Brown Invitational, which lasts through Sunday, Sept. 21. On Saturday, Sept. 20, the women's team will serve as host of the two-day Bucknell Invitational. |
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