Oklahoma State University Athletics
Thursday, September 22
Lafayette, La.
All day
Oklahoma State University
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Cajun Classic
Cowboys Ready For Return to Cajun Classic
September 20, 2016 | Cowboy Tennis
Cajun Classic Notes
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State men's tennis team will compete in its second event of the fall season this weekend as the Cowboys head to Lafayette, Louisiana to once again compete in the John Breaux Cajun Tennis Classic. The event includes six teams that finished in the top-30 of the ITA Rankings last season, including the Cowboys, who finished the 2015-16 season at No. 13 in the rankings.
The Basics
The Oklahoma State men's tennis team continues its fall season this Thursday as the Cowboys travel to Lafayette, Louisiana to once again take part in the Cajun Classic, which is hosted by Louisiana-Lafayette. The Cowboys have found success in the event over the years, including when senior Arjun Kadhe placed second at the event two seasons ago.
Cowboy Lineup
The Cowboys are expected to field a very strong lineup for this weekend's event, including Tristan Meraut, Lukas Finzelberg and three-time All-American Arjun Kadhe. The event will be the first time fans get to see Finzelberg and Kadhe during the 2016-17 season.
Match Updates
For updates during matches, follow @CowboyTennis on Twitter and then check okstate.com for post-match results and a recap from the day's action.
Oklahoma State From a Distance
Oklahoma State returns seven upperclassmen from a season that saw the Cowboys host an NCAA Regional for the first time since 2007 and advance to the Round of 16 at the NCAA Tournament for the 10th time in program history. The Cowboys racked up 20 duals wins for the second time under head coach Jay Udwadia, with 12 of those victories coming against ranked competition.
The OSU roster is headlined by the top-ranked All-American duo of Julian Cash and Arjun Kadhe. The tandem won an impressive 34 matches last season, which is the most of any duo in OSU history. After advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Doubles Championship, the pair were named as both NCAA and ITA All-Americans. The duo currently holds the top spot in the ITA Doubles Rankings, marking the first time that an Oklahoma State tandem has been ranked No. 1.
Also returning for the Cowboys are seniors Lucas Gerch and Nathan Roper, as well as juniors Lukas Finzelberg, Jurence Mendoza and Tristan Meraut. Gerch enters his senior campaign looking to solidify himself as one of OSU's best all-time players, while the remaining four returners all figure to be integral parts of OSU getting back to and making another deep run in the NCAA Tournament this year.
Head coach Jay Udwadia enters his fifth season in charge of the Cowboys and is likely to earn his 75th win as OSU's head coach early in the spring season.
Eyeing The Opponents
The Cowboys will be joined in Louisiana by teams from across the country, including Big 12-rivals Texas and Texas Tech. OSU defeated Texas Tech at the Greenwood Tennis Center last April to earn their first conference win and first victory over a top-10 opponent since 2014. Some of the other schools competing at the event include Southeastern Conference members LSU and Kentucky, perennial national power Southern Cal, as well as the host school, Louisiana-Lafayette.
Six of the teams competing in the Cajun Classic finished last season ranked in the top 30 of the ITA's final team standings. Finishing last year at No. 13, Oklahoma State is the third-highest ranked team in the event, surpassed only by USC (No. 12) and Texas Tech (No. 11).
Notable Streaks and Trends
- The Cowboys have been ranked in the top-30 of the ITA Rankings for 22 consecutive weeks. The last time OSU was outside of the top 30 was May 1, 2015.
- The Cowboys have won at least 15 matches in each of the last three seasons under head coach Jay Udwadia. Twice during that stretch OSU has hit the 20-win mark, winning 22 in 2014 and 20 a season ago.
- Oklahoma State has had a doubles tandem earn All-America honors in each of the past three seasons. Last season it was Julian Cash and Arjun Kadhe achieving the feat, while Kadhe and Jakob Sude recorded the first two during the 2014 and 2015 NCAA Tournaments. Kadhe is the first OSU player to ever be named an All-American in doubles on three occasions.
- Since 2013, the Cowboys have made three-straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including advancing to the Round of 16 last season. That streak is the second-longest in program history, trailing only a seven-year streak from 2003-09 that saw the Cowboys reach the tournament in each season.
- Senior Lucas Gerch enters the 2016-17 season currently riding a 13-match winning streak.
The Udwadia Effect
Since head coach Jay Udwadia took over the program in June of 2012, the Cowboys have seen a resurgence as they have begun to re-enter the national spotlight. OSU's 71 wins during Udwadia's tenure marks the most in a four-year stretch since the Cowboys won 76 from 2005-08.
Of those 71 wins, 31 have come against ranked competition, including eight wins over top-25 foes, as the Cowboys have routinely faced the toughest the nation has to offer during Udwadia's four years at the helm. This season the Pokes will again face one of the nation's toughest schedules as their 2016-17 slate includes 15 teams that earned NCAA Tournament bids a season ago.
Record Watch
- Arjun Kadhe's 67 career doubles wins currently put him in sixth place on the Cowboys' al-time list. After winning a team-record 34 matches with Julian Cash last season, Kadhe needs just 25 wins to tie Charlie Laster for the program record. The Pune, India native also holds 55 career singles wins, which puts him in prime position to break into the top 10.
- With 62 career singles wins, Lucas Gerch is currently tied for 10th place with Fran Frepelka on the all-time list. If the German international matches last season's 22 wins, he would conclude his OSU career in fifth place.
- Julian Cash's record-setting 2015-16 season left him with 34 doubles wins as a Cowboy. If he and partner Arjun Kadhe were to replicate their success from last season, Cash would find himself in sixth place after his junior campaign.
- Arjun Kadhe currently sits with Oleksandr Nedovyesov and his former doubles partner as the only three-time All-Americans in OSU history. With his senior campaign set to begin, Kadhe can become the first Cowboy to earn All-America honors on four occasions this year.
Fall Outlook
The Cowboys have a packed 2016 fall season that includes some of collegiate tennis' toughest competition, which began with the fifth annual Silverado Resort and Spa's College Tennis Invitational two weeks ago. OSU sent four players, including freshman Mathieu Scaglia, to the even where the Cowboys compiled five teams wins. Scaglia was one of the bright spots of the event as the Frejus, France native was perfect in his first collegiate singles action, going a perfect 3-0 during the event.
OSU once again competes in the John Breaux Cajun Tennis Classic this season after finding success at the event in recent years. Two seasons ago, Arjun Kadhe was a finalist in singles at the event and he followed it up with an appearance in the quarterfinals last year. The Cowboys' schedule only ramps up from there as they will then make the short road trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma for the ITA All-American Championships, which begin on September 30.
After another road trip to Harlingen, Texas for the F32 Futures event, OSU will return to the friendly confines of the Michael and Anne Greenwood Tennis Center as they host the ITA Central Regional starting on October 20. The Cowboys will conclude fall action at the ITA National Indoor Championships in Flushing Meadows, New York, which takes place the first weekend of November.
Cowboys In The ITA Rankings
The Oklahoma State duo of Julian Cash and Arjun Kadhe became the first doubles tandem in Oklahoma State history to hold the top spot in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Rankings after coming in at No. 1 in the September 13 edition of the ITA Rankings this season. Cash and Kadhe are both also ranked in singles play with Cash cracking the top-30 at No. 29 and Kadhe holding down the No. 87 spot.
Cash and Kadhe are joined by another OSU duo as Lucas Gerch and Jurence Mendoza are ranked No. 52 in the initial ITA Doubles Rankings. Gerch and Mendoza both also cracked the top 100 for their singles success, with Gerch coming in at No. 98 and Mendoza holding the spot ahead of him at No. 97.
Scaglia In The Spotlight
The 2016-17 version of the Cowboys is one loaded with experience, but the youngest member of the OSU roster, Mathieu Scaglia, has shown already that age is just a number. Rated as one of the top-10 junior players in his home country, the Frejus, France native was one of the bright spots for the Cowboys at the Silverado Invite two weekends ago.
Scaglia rolled through his first collegiate competition as he picked up three-straight singles wins at the event. The Frenchman talent is evident and he will have the opportunity to break into an OSU lineup that returns its entire team from last year's squad that advanced to the Round of 16 at the NCAA Tournament.
Home, Sweet Home
In the three seasons since it first opened, the Michael and Anne Greenwood Tennis Center has provided an incredible home-court advantage to the Cowboys. During that time OSU has won a staggering 34 matches when playing in the confines of the Greenwood Tennis Center.
The Cowboys are slated to play 13 matches on their home courts this upcoming season. Fans will get the opportunity to see them in action quickly, with the first five dual matches scheduled to take part in Stillwater. That home lineup of matches also includes the 2017 ITA Kick-off Weekend event, which the Cowboys will host on January 27 -28.
Thriving In The Classroom
Oklahoma State men's tennis has been a fixture of academic success dating back to the first Academic All-Big 12 team in 1997. In the 20 seasons, OSU has had a representative on the Academic All-Big 12 team every season and has had multiple Cowboys earn the honor in all but two years.
Under head coach Jay Udwadia, the Cowboys boast an impressive total of 17 Academic All-Big 12 selections and 11 times have been honored as ITA Scholar-Athletes. Senior Lucas Gerch added to OSU's list of academic achievement last season when he was awarded as the Big 12's Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State men's tennis team will compete in its second event of the fall season this weekend as the Cowboys head to Lafayette, Louisiana to once again compete in the John Breaux Cajun Tennis Classic. The event includes six teams that finished in the top-30 of the ITA Rankings last season, including the Cowboys, who finished the 2015-16 season at No. 13 in the rankings.
The Basics
The Oklahoma State men's tennis team continues its fall season this Thursday as the Cowboys travel to Lafayette, Louisiana to once again take part in the Cajun Classic, which is hosted by Louisiana-Lafayette. The Cowboys have found success in the event over the years, including when senior Arjun Kadhe placed second at the event two seasons ago.
Cowboy Lineup
The Cowboys are expected to field a very strong lineup for this weekend's event, including Tristan Meraut, Lukas Finzelberg and three-time All-American Arjun Kadhe. The event will be the first time fans get to see Finzelberg and Kadhe during the 2016-17 season.
Match Updates
For updates during matches, follow @CowboyTennis on Twitter and then check okstate.com for post-match results and a recap from the day's action.
Oklahoma State From a Distance
Oklahoma State returns seven upperclassmen from a season that saw the Cowboys host an NCAA Regional for the first time since 2007 and advance to the Round of 16 at the NCAA Tournament for the 10th time in program history. The Cowboys racked up 20 duals wins for the second time under head coach Jay Udwadia, with 12 of those victories coming against ranked competition.
The OSU roster is headlined by the top-ranked All-American duo of Julian Cash and Arjun Kadhe. The tandem won an impressive 34 matches last season, which is the most of any duo in OSU history. After advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Doubles Championship, the pair were named as both NCAA and ITA All-Americans. The duo currently holds the top spot in the ITA Doubles Rankings, marking the first time that an Oklahoma State tandem has been ranked No. 1.
Also returning for the Cowboys are seniors Lucas Gerch and Nathan Roper, as well as juniors Lukas Finzelberg, Jurence Mendoza and Tristan Meraut. Gerch enters his senior campaign looking to solidify himself as one of OSU's best all-time players, while the remaining four returners all figure to be integral parts of OSU getting back to and making another deep run in the NCAA Tournament this year.
Head coach Jay Udwadia enters his fifth season in charge of the Cowboys and is likely to earn his 75th win as OSU's head coach early in the spring season.
Eyeing The Opponents
The Cowboys will be joined in Louisiana by teams from across the country, including Big 12-rivals Texas and Texas Tech. OSU defeated Texas Tech at the Greenwood Tennis Center last April to earn their first conference win and first victory over a top-10 opponent since 2014. Some of the other schools competing at the event include Southeastern Conference members LSU and Kentucky, perennial national power Southern Cal, as well as the host school, Louisiana-Lafayette.
Six of the teams competing in the Cajun Classic finished last season ranked in the top 30 of the ITA's final team standings. Finishing last year at No. 13, Oklahoma State is the third-highest ranked team in the event, surpassed only by USC (No. 12) and Texas Tech (No. 11).
Notable Streaks and Trends
- The Cowboys have been ranked in the top-30 of the ITA Rankings for 22 consecutive weeks. The last time OSU was outside of the top 30 was May 1, 2015.
- The Cowboys have won at least 15 matches in each of the last three seasons under head coach Jay Udwadia. Twice during that stretch OSU has hit the 20-win mark, winning 22 in 2014 and 20 a season ago.
- Oklahoma State has had a doubles tandem earn All-America honors in each of the past three seasons. Last season it was Julian Cash and Arjun Kadhe achieving the feat, while Kadhe and Jakob Sude recorded the first two during the 2014 and 2015 NCAA Tournaments. Kadhe is the first OSU player to ever be named an All-American in doubles on three occasions.
- Since 2013, the Cowboys have made three-straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including advancing to the Round of 16 last season. That streak is the second-longest in program history, trailing only a seven-year streak from 2003-09 that saw the Cowboys reach the tournament in each season.
- Senior Lucas Gerch enters the 2016-17 season currently riding a 13-match winning streak.
The Udwadia Effect
Since head coach Jay Udwadia took over the program in June of 2012, the Cowboys have seen a resurgence as they have begun to re-enter the national spotlight. OSU's 71 wins during Udwadia's tenure marks the most in a four-year stretch since the Cowboys won 76 from 2005-08.
Of those 71 wins, 31 have come against ranked competition, including eight wins over top-25 foes, as the Cowboys have routinely faced the toughest the nation has to offer during Udwadia's four years at the helm. This season the Pokes will again face one of the nation's toughest schedules as their 2016-17 slate includes 15 teams that earned NCAA Tournament bids a season ago.
Record Watch
- Arjun Kadhe's 67 career doubles wins currently put him in sixth place on the Cowboys' al-time list. After winning a team-record 34 matches with Julian Cash last season, Kadhe needs just 25 wins to tie Charlie Laster for the program record. The Pune, India native also holds 55 career singles wins, which puts him in prime position to break into the top 10.
- With 62 career singles wins, Lucas Gerch is currently tied for 10th place with Fran Frepelka on the all-time list. If the German international matches last season's 22 wins, he would conclude his OSU career in fifth place.
- Julian Cash's record-setting 2015-16 season left him with 34 doubles wins as a Cowboy. If he and partner Arjun Kadhe were to replicate their success from last season, Cash would find himself in sixth place after his junior campaign.
- Arjun Kadhe currently sits with Oleksandr Nedovyesov and his former doubles partner as the only three-time All-Americans in OSU history. With his senior campaign set to begin, Kadhe can become the first Cowboy to earn All-America honors on four occasions this year.
Fall Outlook
The Cowboys have a packed 2016 fall season that includes some of collegiate tennis' toughest competition, which began with the fifth annual Silverado Resort and Spa's College Tennis Invitational two weeks ago. OSU sent four players, including freshman Mathieu Scaglia, to the even where the Cowboys compiled five teams wins. Scaglia was one of the bright spots of the event as the Frejus, France native was perfect in his first collegiate singles action, going a perfect 3-0 during the event.
OSU once again competes in the John Breaux Cajun Tennis Classic this season after finding success at the event in recent years. Two seasons ago, Arjun Kadhe was a finalist in singles at the event and he followed it up with an appearance in the quarterfinals last year. The Cowboys' schedule only ramps up from there as they will then make the short road trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma for the ITA All-American Championships, which begin on September 30.
After another road trip to Harlingen, Texas for the F32 Futures event, OSU will return to the friendly confines of the Michael and Anne Greenwood Tennis Center as they host the ITA Central Regional starting on October 20. The Cowboys will conclude fall action at the ITA National Indoor Championships in Flushing Meadows, New York, which takes place the first weekend of November.
Cowboys In The ITA Rankings
The Oklahoma State duo of Julian Cash and Arjun Kadhe became the first doubles tandem in Oklahoma State history to hold the top spot in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Rankings after coming in at No. 1 in the September 13 edition of the ITA Rankings this season. Cash and Kadhe are both also ranked in singles play with Cash cracking the top-30 at No. 29 and Kadhe holding down the No. 87 spot.
Cash and Kadhe are joined by another OSU duo as Lucas Gerch and Jurence Mendoza are ranked No. 52 in the initial ITA Doubles Rankings. Gerch and Mendoza both also cracked the top 100 for their singles success, with Gerch coming in at No. 98 and Mendoza holding the spot ahead of him at No. 97.
Scaglia In The Spotlight
The 2016-17 version of the Cowboys is one loaded with experience, but the youngest member of the OSU roster, Mathieu Scaglia, has shown already that age is just a number. Rated as one of the top-10 junior players in his home country, the Frejus, France native was one of the bright spots for the Cowboys at the Silverado Invite two weekends ago.
Scaglia rolled through his first collegiate competition as he picked up three-straight singles wins at the event. The Frenchman talent is evident and he will have the opportunity to break into an OSU lineup that returns its entire team from last year's squad that advanced to the Round of 16 at the NCAA Tournament.
Home, Sweet Home
In the three seasons since it first opened, the Michael and Anne Greenwood Tennis Center has provided an incredible home-court advantage to the Cowboys. During that time OSU has won a staggering 34 matches when playing in the confines of the Greenwood Tennis Center.
The Cowboys are slated to play 13 matches on their home courts this upcoming season. Fans will get the opportunity to see them in action quickly, with the first five dual matches scheduled to take part in Stillwater. That home lineup of matches also includes the 2017 ITA Kick-off Weekend event, which the Cowboys will host on January 27 -28.
Thriving In The Classroom
Oklahoma State men's tennis has been a fixture of academic success dating back to the first Academic All-Big 12 team in 1997. In the 20 seasons, OSU has had a representative on the Academic All-Big 12 team every season and has had multiple Cowboys earn the honor in all but two years.
Under head coach Jay Udwadia, the Cowboys boast an impressive total of 17 Academic All-Big 12 selections and 11 times have been honored as ITA Scholar-Athletes. Senior Lucas Gerch added to OSU's list of academic achievement last season when he was awarded as the Big 12's Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
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