Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboy Tennis Prepped For ITA All-American Championships
September 28, 2016 | Cowboy Tennis
PDF - ITA All-American Championships Notes
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State men's tennis will take part in its third event of the fall season as the Cowboys head to Tulsa, Oklahoma to once again compete in the Saint Francis Health System ITA Men's All-American Championships, which begin on October 1. The event marks the first time this season that all eight Cowboys on head coach Jay Udwadia's roster will compete at the same event, including the first appearance of the season for the nation's top-ranked doubles tandem of Julian Cash and Arjun Kadhe.
Cowboys In The Field
The Cowboys' entire roster will take part in this year's event, which begins with Mathieu Scaglia and Nathan Roper competing in pre-qualifying matches on October 1. Following that, three-time All-American Arjun Kadhe, Jurence Mendoza, Lucas Gerch, Lukas Finzelberg and Tristan Meraut will all see action in the qualifying stage of the tournament before the main draw begins on October 6.
Julian Cash, ranked No. 29 by the ITA, is the only Cowboy to immediately qualify for the singles main draw. The Brighton, England native was a force for the Cowboys last season, compiling 20 wins primarily competing at the No. 1 position a year ago. Cash and his doubles partner Kadhe will compete in the doubles main draw as the top seed after earning the No 1 spot in the ITA preseason rankings, which were released on September 13. The pair won an OSU-record 34 matches together last season and earned NCAA and ITA All-America honors.
Along with Cash and Kadhe, the Cowboys will field two other doubles tandems as Gerch and Mendoza make their first appearance together since OSU's matchup with No. 1 Virginia in the Round of 16 during last season's NCAA Tournament while OSU's final tandem will consist of Finzelberg and Scaglia, who will be teaming together for the first time.
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 honored 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 ITA Central Regional annually presents one of the toughest fields in collegiate tennis. With players coming to compete from across the heart of the United States, this year's field expects to be no different. Some of the schools competing in the tournament include three-time national runner-up Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tulsa, Drake and Wichita State among others.
Last season, the Cowboys went head-to-head with several of their central regional foes, including twice with Arkansas. In total, OSU tallied a 4-2 record against foes that finished the season in the top-10 of the ITA Central Region Rankings, which included a 4-0 shutout of No. 19 Arkansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
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' all-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 56 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 Jakob Sude 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 Recap
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 in Napa, California. OSU sent four players, including freshman Mathieu Scaglia, to the event where the Cowboys compiled five teams wins. Scaglia was one of the bright spots for the Pokes as the Frejus, France native shined in his first collegiate singles action, going a perfect 3-0 during the event.
The Cowboys wrapped up their second event of the fall season this past weekend when they competed in the John Breaux Cajun Tennis Classic. Lukas Finzelberg was one of the event's standouts as he won his first three matches of the season to advance to the semifinals at the event. The German's run marks the third straight year that a Cowboy has advanced to at least the quarterfinals at the tournament.
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's 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 each of the past 20 seasons, OSU has had a representative on the Academic All-Big 12 team every year and has had multiple Cowboys earn the honor on 18 occasions.
Under head coach Jay Udwadia, the Cowboys boast an impressive total of 17 Academic All-Big 12 selections and 11 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 will take part in its third event of the fall season as the Cowboys head to Tulsa, Oklahoma to once again compete in the Saint Francis Health System ITA Men's All-American Championships, which begin on October 1. The event marks the first time this season that all eight Cowboys on head coach Jay Udwadia's roster will compete at the same event, including the first appearance of the season for the nation's top-ranked doubles tandem of Julian Cash and Arjun Kadhe.
Cowboys In The Field
The Cowboys' entire roster will take part in this year's event, which begins with Mathieu Scaglia and Nathan Roper competing in pre-qualifying matches on October 1. Following that, three-time All-American Arjun Kadhe, Jurence Mendoza, Lucas Gerch, Lukas Finzelberg and Tristan Meraut will all see action in the qualifying stage of the tournament before the main draw begins on October 6.
Julian Cash, ranked No. 29 by the ITA, is the only Cowboy to immediately qualify for the singles main draw. The Brighton, England native was a force for the Cowboys last season, compiling 20 wins primarily competing at the No. 1 position a year ago. Cash and his doubles partner Kadhe will compete in the doubles main draw as the top seed after earning the No 1 spot in the ITA preseason rankings, which were released on September 13. The pair won an OSU-record 34 matches together last season and earned NCAA and ITA All-America honors.
Along with Cash and Kadhe, the Cowboys will field two other doubles tandems as Gerch and Mendoza make their first appearance together since OSU's matchup with No. 1 Virginia in the Round of 16 during last season's NCAA Tournament while OSU's final tandem will consist of Finzelberg and Scaglia, who will be teaming together for the first time.
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 honored 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 ITA Central Regional annually presents one of the toughest fields in collegiate tennis. With players coming to compete from across the heart of the United States, this year's field expects to be no different. Some of the schools competing in the tournament include three-time national runner-up Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tulsa, Drake and Wichita State among others.
Last season, the Cowboys went head-to-head with several of their central regional foes, including twice with Arkansas. In total, OSU tallied a 4-2 record against foes that finished the season in the top-10 of the ITA Central Region Rankings, which included a 4-0 shutout of No. 19 Arkansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
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' all-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 56 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 Jakob Sude 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 Recap
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 in Napa, California. OSU sent four players, including freshman Mathieu Scaglia, to the event where the Cowboys compiled five teams wins. Scaglia was one of the bright spots for the Pokes as the Frejus, France native shined in his first collegiate singles action, going a perfect 3-0 during the event.
The Cowboys wrapped up their second event of the fall season this past weekend when they competed in the John Breaux Cajun Tennis Classic. Lukas Finzelberg was one of the event's standouts as he won his first three matches of the season to advance to the semifinals at the event. The German's run marks the third straight year that a Cowboy has advanced to at least the quarterfinals at the tournament.
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's 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 each of the past 20 seasons, OSU has had a representative on the Academic All-Big 12 team every year and has had multiple Cowboys earn the honor on 18 occasions.
Under head coach Jay Udwadia, the Cowboys boast an impressive total of 17 Academic All-Big 12 selections and 11 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.
Players Mentioned
/ Cowboy Tennis
/ Cowboy Tennis
/ Cowboy Tennis
/ Cowboy Tennis
/ Cowboy Tennis
/ Cowboy Tennis
/ Cowboy Tennis
/ Cowboy Tennis
/ Cowboy Tennis
Friday, June 05
Friday, May 29
Wednesday, May 27
Monday, May 18
