Meet the Coach Season Preview Russell Sterns Head Coach 24th Season Russell Sterns begins his 24th year as head coach of the men s tennis team. After successfully defending the Heartland Conference championship last year, hosting and winning the south central regional tournament and advancing to the quarterfinals of the national tournament, Sterns hopes to keep the momentum going into the 2011 season. Since taking over the coaching duties in 1987 and becoming only the second men s tennis coach in school history replacing his former coach and hall of famer, Brother Emmett Strohmeyer Sterns has amassed an overall record of 234-163 and earned Heartland Conference Coach of the Year 13 times. From 1987 to 1999 while the team was part of the Heart of Texas Conference, the program enjoyed a 62-7 conference record that led to five titles, making it the most successful program in conference history. Since moving up from the NAIA to NCAA Division II in 2000 and joining the Heartland Conference, St. Edward s has once again proven to be the conference s premier men s tennis program. Since 2000, Sterns has amassed a 59-18 conference record with four Heartland Conference titles coming in the last five years. Sterns teams have qualified for the national championship in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010. His teams reached the Sweet 16 in 2000, 2007, 2009 and the quarterfinals in both 2006 and 2010. A perennial top 20 program, last year s squad finished ranked 13th in the country. Having spent most of his life involved with tennis, Sterns has worked with numerous state and nationally ranked juniors outside of his college programs. He became a certified U.S.P.T.A. professional in 1988 and spent several years as the club pro at Quail Creek Country Club in San Marcos, Texas. Sterns earned his bachelor s degree in General Business in 1985 and a master s degree in Sports Management in 1999, both from St. Edward s University. A resident of Luling, Texas, Sterns is the proud father of Aaron Sterns, a structural engineer living in Seattle, Wash., with his wife, Jessica. General Information Name: St. Edward s University Website: www.stedwards.edu/sports Phone: 512-448-8480 Address: 3001 South Congress Austin, Texas 78704 Founded: 1885 Enrollment: 5,350 Affiliation: NCAA Division II Conference: Heartland Facility (Capacity): Brother Emmett Strohmeyer Varsity Tennis Courts (300) Nickname: Hilltoppers Colors: Blue and Gold President: George E. Martin, PhD Athletics Administration Quick Facts Athletics Director: Debbie Taylor Associate Athletic Director/Compliance: Melinda Terry Assistant Athletic Director/Facilities and Events: Greg Cooper Assistant Athletic Director/Student Services: Jennifer White Faculty Athletics Representative: Mike Harris, PhD Administrative Assistant: Monica Baker Head Athletic Trainer: Lisa Lowe Associate Athletic Trainer: Chris Magott Assistant Athletic Trainer: Nicole Wilkins Hilltoppers Reloaded and Ready After advancing to the quarterfinals of the national tournament last spring and earning a #13 national ranking, the Hilltoppers will look to replace four starting seniors who advanced to the Sweet 16 in three of the last four years. With a freshman recruiting class that could rival the freshman class of 2007 (Powers, Raiti, Barrios and Lancaster), Coach Russell Sterns is very confident his team will once again be competitive at the national level. I believe I have recruited three freshmen who should be able to step right into our lineup and help us stay at or near the top of the very tough south central region and competitive with the elite programs across the country, said Sterns. It is difficult to replace the experience that our senior laden squad had last year, but I believe this freshman class will prove to be one of the best recruiting classes in the country. THE TEAM Returning for this year will be junior Ned Boone (ranked 45th nationally in singles and 26th in doubles), senior Mick Walter (ranked 18th nationally in doubles), junior Ryan Wiggins, sophomore Jonathan Stockdale and senior Shane Smith. Boone, who played all last year at #1 singles and #2 doubles, and Walter, who played at #4 singles and #1 doubles, will be counted upon heavily to anchor this young team. I expect Ryan Wiggins to play a much larger role this year, and I believe Jonathan Stockdale could also earn playing time. Ned Boone is ready to establish himself as one of the top singles players in the country, and Mick Walter should continue to be nationally ranked and dominant in doubles, said Sterns. The freshmen class James Rogers of Australia and Brazil natives Pedro Bronstrup, Alexandre Bueno and Ivan Vaz will need to fill the holes that are open in the middle of the lineup. If our freshman class can step in and compete in the middle and lower part of our lineup, I am optimistic we can once again establish ourselves as one of the better programs within our region, and hopefully make it back to the national tournament, said Sterns. Early on, I have been very impressed with the work ethic and passion this team seems to possess, and I believe this team should be ready for a very competitive spring schedule beginning in February. Coaching Staff Head Coach: Russell Sterns NCAA Record at School (Years): 131-98 (11 years) NCAA Career Record (Years): Same 2010 Record: 14-10 2010 Conference Finish: 1st Starters Returning/Lost: 2/4 Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 6/5 Sports Information Office Sports Information Director: Logan Lawrence Phone: 512-464-8810 Cell: 512-636-2779 Fax: 512-428-1001 E-mail: loganl@stedwards.edu The Schedule A challenging schedule awaits the team, including several matches against teams ranked in the top 20 in NCAA Division II. The 2011 schedule includes defending national champion Barry University (Fla.), along with perennial powerhouse Lynn University (Fla.). The Hilltoppers will also have some tough matches regionally against Abilene Christian University, Cameron University, University of Incarnate Word and Northwest Missouri State University. We want to play the strongest competition that is available, Sterns said. Doing this helps us prepare for the postseason and the level of play that we will face there. We have a very strong region. We also like to schedule some Division I teams, which lets us measure how well we are playing. Final Thoughts St. Edward s has won the Heartland Conference title four of the last five seasons. With Incarnate Word moving to the Lone Star Conference, the Hilltoppers will compete for the crown with Newman, St. Mary s and Dallas Baptist, who will host the Heartland Conference Tournament for the second-straight season. I look forward to the upcoming season and think we have a team that can be very successful, Sterns said. My hope is that I can provide a positive experience for the student-athletes and that we can make the university proud by what we accomplish on the court, in the classroom and in the community. Ned Boone www.stedwards.edu/menstennis Mick Walter
Returning Players Shane Smith Senior Redshirted the 2010 season Ryan Wiggins Junior 2010 Record: Singles (7-9), Doubles (8-9) Mick Walter Senior First-team All-Heartland Conference (2008, 2009, 2010) Heartland Conference Freshman of the Year (2008) Ranked 18th nationally in doubles (2010) 2010 Record: Singles (9-13), Doubles (19-8) Andrew Wilson Junior Redshirted the 2010 season with an injury The Team Ned Boone Junior First-team All-Heartland Conference (2010) Heartland Conference Player of the Year (2010) Ranked 45th nationally in singles and 26th in doubles (2010) 2010 Record: Singles (9-8), Doubles (16-4) Jonathan Stockdale Sophomore 2010 Record: Singles (0-2), Doubles (1-1) Ryan Wiggins 2011 Roster Jonathan Stockdale 2011 Schedule Name Erin Redfield (L R): Dina O'Brien, Kirby Baker, Emily Kvinta, Coach McNeil, April Fields, Erin Redfield r/l HT. YR. Hometown/Previous School Date Opponent time Ned Boone R 6-0 Jr. London, England/LSU February Pedro Bronstrup R 5-10 Fr. Porto Alegre, Brazil/Colegio Farroupilla 2 St. Mary s* 2:30 p.m. Alexandre Bueno R 5-10 Fr. Sao Paulo, Brazil/ 5 UT San Antonio 10 a.m. Colegio Visconde de Porto Seguro 10 trinity 2 p.m. James Rogers R 5-11 Fr. Bahagowan, Australia/ 13 Texas A&M 6 p.m. Mackay Christian College 15 Tyler JC 2 p.m. Shane Smith R 5-9 Sr. Kaufman/Tyler JC 26 laredo CC 9 a.m. 27 Lamar 11 a.m. Jonathan Stockdale R 5-11 So. Austin/Lake Travis HS Ivan Vaz R 5-9 Fr. Campinas, Brazil/Colegio Notre Dame Mick Walter R 6-5 Sr. College Station/A&M Consolidated HS March 3 Dallas Baptist* 2 p.m. Ryan Wiggins R 5-11 Jr. Frisco/Old Dominion 4 Arkansas Fort Smith 10 a.m. Andrew Wilson R 5-7 Jr. New Braunfels/Home School 7 rollins College noon 12 east Central 11 a.m. Head Coach: Russell Sterns (24th season, St. Edward s 85) 13 abilene Christian noon 20 newman* 10 a.m. 26 Cameron 10 a.m. 27 SE Oklahoma State 9 a.m. April 1 Incarnate Word 3 p.m. 9 Barry 10 a.m. 10 Lynn 10 a.m. 15 midwestern State 4 p.m. 21 22 1-Heartland Conference Tournament TBA May 5 7 NCAA Regional TBA 11 14 NCAA Championship TBA Back row (L R): Head Coach Russell Sterns, Jonathan Stockdale, Mick Walter, Pedro Bronstrup, Ned Boone, Manager Ryan Krause Front row (L R): Alexandre Bueno, Shane Smith, James Rogers, Ryan Wiggins, Ivan Vaz Ryan Wiggins Mick Walter * Heartland Conference match 1 Heartland Conference Tournament, Dallas, Texas Home matches listed in bold
2010 Individual Statistics View past tennis statistics at: www.stedwards.edu/menstennis 2010 Results Singles Name 1 2 3 4 5 6 Total Fall Overall Boris Barrios 1-0 3-4 3-2 7-6 0-1 7-7 Ned Boone 9-8 9-8 0-0 9-8 Gerardo Gomez 0-1 0-1 0-0 0-1 Bernard Lancaster 1-2 0-2 2-5 5-3 8-12 2-1 10-13 Brett Powers 0-1 10-8 10-9 3-0 13-9 Justin Raiti 2-1 2-0 7-8 11-9 1-0 12-9 Jonathan Stockdale 0-2 0-2 0-0 0-2 Mick Walter 1-2 1-1 5-8 1-0 0-1 8-12 1-1 9-13 Ryan Wiggins 1-3 2-2 3-3 6-8 1-1 7-9 Totals 11-10 13-10 9-11 7-13 8-11 11-11 59-66 8-4 67-70 DOUBLES Name 1 2 3 total Fall Overall Barrios/Lancaster 0-0 2-1 2-1 Barrios/Walter 15-6 1-0 1-0 17-6 0-0 17-6 Boone/Powers 0-1 11-3 5-0 16-4 0-0 16-4 Lancaster/Powers 0-1 0-1 0-0 0-1 Lancaster/Raiti 8-1 8-1 0-0 8-1 Lancaster/Stockdale 1-1 1-1 0-0 1-1 Lancaster/Walter 0-1 0-1 0-0 0-1 Powers/Walter 0-0 2-1 2-1 Raiti/Wiggins 1-1 4-5 2-2 7-8 1-1 8-9 Totals 16-8 16-8 17-6 49-22 5-3 54-25 (L R): Head Coach Russell Sterns, Mick Walter and Boris Barrios Date Opponent score 02/5/10 Lamar L 4-5 02/7/10 UT San Antonio W 4-3 02/19/10 Trinity L 4-5 02/20/10 Laredo CC W 6-3 02/28/10 Texas L 0-7 03/03/10 Arkansas Fort Smith W 8-1 03/06/10 Collin County CC L 2-5 03/11/10 St. Mary s* W 9-0 03/13/10 Newman* W 7-0 03/15/10 1-Barry L 3-6 03/16/10 1-Armstrong Atlantic L 0-9 03/17/10 1-Hawaii Pacific L 3-6 03/21/10 NW Missouri State W 5-3 03/26/10 Incarnate Word* l 4-5 03/27/10 Baylor L 0-7 04/06/10 Tyler JC W 6-3 04/08/10 Cameron W 5-2 04/12/10 Abilene Christian W 5-3 04/12/10 Dallas Baptist* W 9-0 04/23/10 2-St. Mary s W 5-0 04/24/10 2-Incarnate Word W 5-2 05/07/10 3-NW Missouri State W 6-3 05/12/10 4-Mesa State W 6-0 05/13/10 4-Concordia (N.Y.) L 1-5 1 Las Vegas Tournament, Las Vegas, Nev. 2 Heartland Conference Tournament, Dallas, Texas 3 NCAA Regional, Austin, Texas 4 NCAA National Tournament, Altamonte Springs, Fla. * Heartland Conference match Home matches listed in bold Heartland Conference Founded in 1999, the Heartland Conference is an NCAA Division II conference consisting of eight schools from Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. These schools include founding members St. Edward s University and St. Mary s University, as well as expansion members Dallas Baptist University, Oklahoma Panhandle State University, UT Permian Basin, Texas A&M International University, Newman University, and University of Arkansas Fort Smith. The Heartland Conference is the newest of the NCAA Division II conferences. At the present time, there are 24 conferences in NCAA Division II, totaling almost 300 institutions in full or provisional status across the nation. Learn more about Hilltopper men s tennis at: www.stedwards.edu/ menstennis Facilities Facilities and Equipment When you arrive at our 160-acre hilltop campus, you ll find a balance of traditional and modern architecture that speaks to the university s rich past and exemplifies our bright future. You ll also discover that campus life extends far beyond the classroom. Whether it s working out in the fitness center after a swim, grabbing a cappuccino in Jo s Coffee, or catching up with friends in an outdoor courtyard, you ll find a rich and active community at St. Edward s. Recreation and Convocation Center Located in the heart of campus, the Recreation and Convocation Center is a full-featured modern facility equipped with a fitness center, a six-lane pool, four racquetball/handball courts, two full-size basketball floors and space to display all the Hilltopper trophies. Brother Emmett Strohmeyer Varsity Tennis Courts Built in the late 1960s, the tennis courts are named in honor of Brother Emmett Strohmeyer, CSC, legendary tennis coach at St. Edward s who amassed 25-consecutive conference championships. Five tennis courts provide a playing area for both the men s and women s tennis teams. St. Edward s University Athletics St. Edward s University competes in 11 sports, including baseball, men s and women s basketball, men s and women s golf, men s and women s soccer, softball, men s and women s tennis, and volleyball. After enjoying many successful seasons in the NAIA, St. Edward s Athletics made the move to NCAA Division II in 1999. As a charter member of the Heartland Conference, the Hilltoppers have won 36 conference championships in the past 10 years. In fact, 25 of those titles have happened since the beginning of the 2006 2007 academic year. Since joining the NCAA ranks, a total of 44 Hilltoppers have earned All-America honors, and St. Edward s has sent 45 teams to the NCAA National Tournament. Hilltopper Athletics is coming off perhaps the most impressive four-year stint in program history. 24 teams have advanced to the NCAA National Tournament: the softball team finished tied for third in the nation in 2008; the men s golf lost in a sudden-death playoff to finish second in the nation in 2008; the women s tennis team advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2009; and the women s soccer team has advanced to the NCAA tournament three times since 2006, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2009. Men s tennis has appeared in the national tournament four out of the last five years, with the squad advancing to the Elite Eight twice. The women s golf team qualified for the regional tournament four years in a row, while the men s golf team has advanced to the regional tournament the past seven seasons. The baseball team won back-to-back Heartland Conference Championships in 2007 and 2008. Hilltopper athletes have enjoyed unprecedented success in the classroom, too, earning a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for the past 15 semesters. Their student-athlete graduation rate of 88% is the fourth highest in NCAA Division II. This past spring, 82 student-athletes were named to the Heartland Conference All-Academic Team and 22 individuals earned a 4.0 GPA.ic Team and 22 individuals earned a 4.0 GPA.
About St. Edward s University A nationally recognized university, St. Edward s offers a close-knit academic community with small classes and personalized attention. For more than a century, the university has provided higher education opportunities to students of all ages and of varied cultural, religious, educational and economic backgrounds. St. Edward s is celebrated for anticipating and responding to our changing world with innovation. Working alongside our dedicated faculty, students build a foundation for lifelong learning, achievement, and personal satisfaction in career and community life. Congregation of Holy Cross Think critically, act ethically, appreciate diversity, strive for social justice and serve the community. These are the values of the Congregation of Holy Cross, which founded St. Edward s more than a century ago. The tenets continue to drive the university s mission today and transform our students into globally engaged citizens ready for the challenges of our complex world. St. Edward s University at a Glance Tuition: $28,300 Housing and food (estimated): $9,257 Undergraduate Students: 3,535 60% Female, 40% Male 6 St. Edward s won six out of 11 Heartland Conference championships for the 2009 2010 athletics season. 14 With a growing campus of over 5,300 students, St. Edward s maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio of 14:1 in the traditional undergraduate college. Diversity: 30% Hispanic, 4% African-American, 3% Asian/Pacific Islander and 3% International; 46 states and 29 countries represented 25 St. Edward s has been named among the top 25 master sgranting institutions in the Western Region by U.S. News & World Report for eight consecutive years. 100% St. Edward s puts a priority on buildings and technology that enhance learning. In fact, 100% of our classrooms have advanced computer and multimedia technology. Life in Austin Austin is the Live Music Capital of the World and home to the South by Southwest and Austin City Limits music festivals. Economic growth and endless opportunity. Diverse and eclectic cultures. A laid-back lifestyle and hip music scene. It all comes together in Austin, the heart of Central Texas, to create one of America s most vibrant cities one that continually tops lists of best, most wired and coolest cities. Austinites enjoy great year-round weather with an average of 300 days of sunshine. You can hike the Barton Creek Greenbelt, take in an outdoor concert on the shores of Lady Bird Lake or relax in 351-acre Zilker Park. And that s just the beginning. Austin also boasts: About 200 parks More than 60 theater companies More than 200 live music venues