Griz earn first regional team ranking, Pudney earns singles ranking
6/10/2022 2:35:00 PM | Men's Tennis
The Montana men's tennis team made more history this week, earning the program's best end-of-year regional team ranking and Ed Pudney becoming UM's highest regionally ranked singles player ever, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) recently announced.
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For the first time, the Griz cap the season as the No. 9 team in the ITA's Mountain Region, an area comprised of D-I teams from Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Northern Arizona.
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Pudney, this year's Big Sky MVP, also cements his place as one of the best to ever do it at UM as the No. 14-ranked player in the Mountain Region.
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He is one of only three Grizzlies to earn a regional ranking from the ITA, joining former standouts Victor Casadevall and Jan Steenekamp as Montana's only players to earn regional honors. Casadevall finished his career ranked No. 19 in 2018, and Steenekamp earned a No. 18 ranking in 2003.
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"We're excited to finish the season as one of the top teams in the region with one, if not more, of the best players in the region," said head coach Jason Brown.
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"This is the standard we expect out of ourselves, and hopefully this will help us build momentum toward national recognition in the future."
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The Grizzlies are coming off arguably the best overall season ever in Missoula, with Montana entering national rankings for the first time ever, spending seven weeks in the poll after upsetting Boise State and Air Force.
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Montana returned to the semifinal of the Big Sky championship tournament and finished the year at 15-5 overall after starting the year with nine-straight victories and winning 12 of its first 13 matches.
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A total of six Grizzlies earned All-Big Sky honors following the season, with Pudney taking home MVP honors. He is the first Grizzly since Andrew Warren in 2014 to take the title of the best in the league. Shortly after, Pudney was also named the most improved senior in the region by the ITA as well.
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ITA Mountain Region Top-10
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ITA Mountain Region Top-20 Singles Players
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For the first time, the Griz cap the season as the No. 9 team in the ITA's Mountain Region, an area comprised of D-I teams from Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Northern Arizona.
Â
Pudney, this year's Big Sky MVP, also cements his place as one of the best to ever do it at UM as the No. 14-ranked player in the Mountain Region.
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He is one of only three Grizzlies to earn a regional ranking from the ITA, joining former standouts Victor Casadevall and Jan Steenekamp as Montana's only players to earn regional honors. Casadevall finished his career ranked No. 19 in 2018, and Steenekamp earned a No. 18 ranking in 2003.
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"We're excited to finish the season as one of the top teams in the region with one, if not more, of the best players in the region," said head coach Jason Brown.
Â
"This is the standard we expect out of ourselves, and hopefully this will help us build momentum toward national recognition in the future."
Â
The Grizzlies are coming off arguably the best overall season ever in Missoula, with Montana entering national rankings for the first time ever, spending seven weeks in the poll after upsetting Boise State and Air Force.
Â
Montana returned to the semifinal of the Big Sky championship tournament and finished the year at 15-5 overall after starting the year with nine-straight victories and winning 12 of its first 13 matches.
Â
A total of six Grizzlies earned All-Big Sky honors following the season, with Pudney taking home MVP honors. He is the first Grizzly since Andrew Warren in 2014 to take the title of the best in the league. Shortly after, Pudney was also named the most improved senior in the region by the ITA as well.
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ITA Mountain Region Top-10
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| RANK | TEAM |
| 1 | Utah |
| 2 | Denver |
| 3 | Nevada |
| 4 | Utah State |
| 5 | Montana State |
| 6 | New Mexico |
| 7 | Boise State |
| 8 | Idaho |
| 9 | Montana |
| 10 | Air Force |
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ITA Mountain Region Top-20 Singles Players
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| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM |
| 1 | Franco Capalbo | Utah |
| 2 | Geronimo Espin Busleiman | Utah |
| 3 | James Davis | Denver |
| 4 | Christopher Bulus | UNLV |
| 5 | Fran Bastias | Utah |
| 6 | Nico Herrero Cuesta | Denver |
| 7 | Bodin Zarkovic | Utah State |
| 8 | Arda Azkara | New Mexico |
| 9 | Louis Menard | New Mexico State |
| 10 | Matheo Coupu | Nevada |
| 11 | Francisco Bascon | Idaho |
| 12 | David Cierny | Utah State |
| 13 | Robert Baylon | Air Force |
| 14 | Ed Pudney | Montana |
| 15 | Bruno Caula | Utah |
| 16 | Simon Arca Costas | Boise State |
| 17 | Matt Summers | Denver |
| 18 | Matej Panik | Montana State |
| 19 | Sebastian Buxman | Weber State |
| 20 | Patrik Trhac | Idaho State |
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Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
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