Men's Tennis Southern Conference

Furman Inks Three for Men's Tennis

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Furman men's tennis head coach Paul Scarpa announced today the signing of Alex Christ, Marco Aru, and Joel Cook to national letters of intent. 

Christ, a senior at Pittsford Sutherland, was named a "5-Star Recruit" by tennisrecruiting.net and is ranked 72nd nationally and sixth in the state of New York.  Over the summer he recorded wins over players ranked 10th and 18th nationally to push his record to 35-29.  A resident of Rochester, New York, has been coached in high school by Gary Foti and privately by Tom LaPenna and Scott Thyroff.

"We are delighted to get not only a good player, but also a super individual in this signee," said Scarpa at the time of Christ's signing.  "Alex is a good student and comes from a great family that is very supportive of his decision to come to Furman.  He was one of the key players in our recruiting process this year.  We feel blessed to get Alex, so we can continue the type of program that we've had here at Furman.  Alex loved Furman from the start, but he felt like the team really wanted him here."

Aru comes to Furman from Ridgeland, Miss., where he attends Jackson Preparatory School.  He has earned a fourth-place state ranking and a ranking of 76th in the Southeast.  His brother, Robbie, is currently a freshman on the Furman tennis team. 

"Marco is a very skilled player who, with a little more experience, will be a strong part of our program," said Scarpa.  "It is exciting to have two brothers on the same team.  Obviously, his family is very pro-Furman, having sent two of their children to school here."

Cook is a 6-9 senior from Easley High in Easley, S.C.  He ranks third in South Carolina and 56th in the Southeast.  A key player on the Green Wave basketball team, Cook hopes to continue both his tennis and basketball careers at Furman.  His sister, Tessa, was a member of the Paladin track and field and cross country teams from 2001-2005 and is a former assistant track coach at Furman.

"At 6-9, he gives the appearance of another John Isner," says Scarpa of Cook.  "He's a very good athlete who has split his time between basketball and tennis, which he also plans to do at Furman.  Furman is going to be a perfect place for Joel, a local talent.  We are looking forward to having all three of these outstanding young men with us next year."

Furman, ranked 61st nationally, opens the 2010 spring season January 30 against Florida at the National ITA Indoor Championship in Gainesville, Fla.