Northwestern University Athletics
Men's Tennis Heads to Big Ten Championships
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
April 28, 1999
NORTHWESTERN MEN'S TENNIS
9-11 overall, 4-6 Big Ten Regular Season
National Ranking: 39
No. 7 Seed at 1999 Big Ten Championships
Hosted by the University of Michigan
April 29 - May 2, 1999
'Cats No. 7 Seed at Big Ten Championships
Northwestern, the No. 39-ranked team in the country, will be the No. 7 seed at this weekend's Big Ten Championships, held at the University of Michigan's Varsity Tennis Center in Ann Arbor. On Thursday, April 29, the Wildcats play 10th-seeded Penn State at 9 a.m. EDT. If they advance, they will take on second-seeded Michigan at 9 a.m. on Friday.
NU History at the Big Ten Championships
Northwestern finished second at the Big Ten Championships a year ago with a 4-1 loss to Illinois in the title match.
Overall, the Wildcats have won nine Big Ten team championships with the most recent coming in 1990, led by current professional Todd Martin. The other titles were earned in 1936, 1940, 1942, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950 and 1963. Since 1992, the Wildcats have finished either second or third at the Big Ten Championships.
'Cats vs. Big Ten Championship Field
NU went 4-6 against Big Ten opponents this season. Victories were posted over Iowa (6-1), Wisconsin (4-3), Ohio State (4-3) and Penn State (4-3). The 'Cats fell to Minnesota (2-5), Illinois (1-6), Purdue (2-5), Indiana (2-5), Michigan State (2-5) and Michigan (1-6).
Head Coach Paul Torricelli
Paul Torricelli is in his 16th season as head coach of the Northwestern men's tennis program. Torricelli, the all-time winningest coach in NU history, has an overall record of 245-165. Torricelli has twice been named the Big Ten Coach of the Year (1993, 1997).
Bohaboy Steps Up
Senior captain Doug Bohaboy took over the No. 1 singles position for NU after Silva left the team. He finished the regular season with an 8-2 Big Ten mark and won seven-straight conference matches before Michigan's Matt Wright put an end to that last weekend (6-1, 3-6, 6-1). It also ended Bohaboy's streak of 14-consecutive sets won. Over the course of his four years at NU, Bohaboy has posted an unbelievable 15-0 record in postseason competition which also includes NCAA Regional and NCAA Tournament action.
Bohaboy Surpasses Century Mark
Against Wisconsin on April 4, Doug Bohaboy defeated Mark Loughrin (6-2, 6-3) for his 100th career singles victory. Bohaboy's career singles record stands at 105-32 (766).
Singles Ranking
Doug Bohaboy is the No. 48-ranked singles player in the country, according to the ITA.
NU's No. 1 Doubles Team
Doug Bohaboy and Martin Bengtsson comprise NU's No. 1 doubles team. The duo is currently ranked No. 46 in the country and has compiled a 17-10 overall record this season. They enter this weekend's Big Ten Championships on a five-match winning streak. After getting off to a slow start in the Big Ten, the pair turned it around to post a 5-4 record in the conference.
'Cats in the National Rankings
NU has been ranked among the nation's elite throughout the 1998-99 season:
Preseason 32 Fall 37 First Spring Ranking 33 Second Spring Ranking 52 Third Spring Ranking 34 Fourth Spring Ranking 39 Fifth Spring Ranking Released May 4
Numbers Down
Northwestern played the entire spring season with only six players on the roster. Marc Silva, the 1998 Big Ten Player of the Year, left the team for personal reasons after NU's match at California on Feb. 13. When freshman Joost Hol severely sprained his ankle at Penn State, and was forced to sit out of singles competition against Purdue and Indiana, the Wildcats turned to Brian Moss for help at No. 6 singles.
