2008 huskie menâ€™s tennis

2007-08 NORTHERN ILLINOIS TENNIS 1

2008 HUSKIE MEN’S TENNIS

Credits: The 2007-08 Northern Illinois Men’s and Women’s Tennis Media Guide is a product of the NIU Athletics Media Relations Offi ce. Editors: Matt Brendich and Joe Summins; As-sistant Editors: David Brauer, Russell Houghtaling, Zach Peters and Donna Turner; Contributors: Ben Killam, Northern Illinios University Public Relations. Photography: Scott Walstrom; Ad-ditional Photography: NIU Media Services (Gordon Means, Barry Stark, Keith Lowman, George Tarbay, Don Butler, Bob Banke, Wade Duerkes, Phil Mascione), NIU Media Relations Archives.

Printing: Barnaby Printing, Sycamore, Illinois.

The 2007-08 NIU Men’s and Women’s Tennis Media Guide is designed for media, fans and prospective student-athletes to provide information on Northern Illinois University and Huskie Tennis. Copies of this publication are available to the general public for $10.

2008 SCHEDULEDate Opponent Location Time1/20 vs. IUPUI Milwaukee, Wis. 10 a.m.1/26 at Iowa Iowa City, Iowa 3 p.m.1/27 at Wisconsin Madison, Wis. 10 a.m.2/9 at Bradley Peoria, Ill. 1 p.m.2/10 vs. Illinois State ! Rockford, Ill. 1 p.m.2/16 at Indiana State Terre Haute, Ind. 3 p.m.2/23 vs. Valparaiso ! Rockford, Ill. 1 p.m.2/24 vs. Western Illinois ! Rockford, Ill. 1 p.m.2/29 vs. UW-Green Bay $ Rockford, Ill. 4 p.m.3/1 vs. Eastern Illinois ! Rockford, Ill. 1 p.m.3/10 at Eckerd St. Petersburg, Fla. 2 p.m.3/12 at Flagler St. Augustine, Fla. 1:30 p.m.3/22 at DePaul Chicago, Ill. 1 p.m.3/29 vs. Southern Illinois DeKalb, Ill. 1 p.m.4/5 vs. Buffalo # DeKalb, Ill. 1 p.m.4/6 vs. Ball State # DeKalb, Ill. 1 p.m.4/13 vs. Toledo # DeKalb, Ill. 1 p.m.4/16 vs. Chicago State # DeKalb, Ill. 1:30 p.m.4/17 vs. IPFW DeKalb, Ill. 2 p.m.4/19 at Western Michigan # Kalamazoo, Mich. 1 p.m.4/24 MAC Championships DeKalb, Ill. 1 p.m.4/25 MAC Championships DeKalb, Ill. 1 p.m.4/26 MAC Championships DeKalb, Ill. 1 p.m.

Bold denotes home matchAll times Central and subject to change.# Denotes Mid-American Conference match! Held at Clock Tower Racquet Club 7801 East State Street, Rockford, Illinois, 61108$ Held at Boylan Tennis Center4000 St. Francis Drive, Rockford, Illinois, 61103

NIU Men’s Tennis Quick FactsGeneralLocation........................................................ DeKalb, IllinoisFounded .................................................................... 1895Enrollment ............................................................. 25,254Nickname ...............................................................HuskiesColors .....................................................Cardinal and BlackAffi liation ...................................................NCAA Division IConference .................................................... Mid-AmericanFacility ........................................................ Gullikson CourtsPresident .......................................................Dr. John PetersAssociate V.P./Director of Athletics ............ Dr. Jim Phillips

StaffHead Coach ......................................................Pontus HiortAlma Mater ...........................................Murray State, 1996Years as Head Coach..................................................FiveYears at NIU (Overall) ............................................ ElevenPhone ......................................................... (815) 753-6845E-Mail ........................................................... [email protected] Coach .......................................... Brandon LenfertAlma Mater .........................................Eastern Illinois, 2007Years at NIU ................................................................FirstE-Mail .........................................................blenfert@niu.eduAthletics Trainer .............................................Tricia SchankSport Administrator ................................... Shelley Binegar

Team2007 Dual Match Record ........................................ 10-122007 MAC Record ....................................................... 1-42007 MAC Finish ................................................ Semifi nalsLetterwinners Returning/Lost ................................... 7/0Newcomers..................................................................... 2

TABLE OF CONTENTSHead Coach Pontus Hiort ....................................2Roster / Assistant Coach Brandon Lenfert ..............32008 Spring Outlook ......................................4-5Javier Bernabe / Jimmy Chu ................................6Adam Ford / Alex Friesen ...................................7Matt Hansen / Brian Livingston ............................8Alfonso Monroy / Diego Zegarra-Ballón ...............9Huskie Records ................................................10Huskie Honor Roll .............................................11Huskie Letterwinners .........................................12

2007-08 NORTHERN ILLINOIS TENNIS2

NIU HEAD COACH PONTUS HIORT

In four seasons at the helm of the NIU Men’s Tennis program, Pontus Hiort has led his teams to a 48-43 overall record in match play, includ-ing an 18-6 mark in his fi rst year. Last season, Hiort’s senior-less team fi nished with a 10-12 record and advanced to the semi-fi nals of the MAC Men’s Tennis Championships for the third year in a row. His Hus-kies have posted double-digit win totals in three of his four seasons. Hiort began his coaching career at Northern Illinois University as a volunteer coach in 1997-98, and ultimately became the head men’s tennis coach in 2003-04. Hiort did double-duty as the head coach for the NIU women’s tennis team from 2004-06. In Hiort’s fi rst season as the head coach of the NIU men’s program, the native of Sweden led the Huskies to an 18-6 overall record, a national ranking as high as 73rd and their second consecutive berth in the Mid-American Conference Championship match. The run to the MAC summit included NIU’s fi rst victory over perennial league power and tourney host Ball State since April 20, 1974. Hiort followed up his highly-successful rookie campaign with a solid 13-10 record season in 2005 where he coached one of the greatest individual performances in the history of NIU men’s tennis. That sea-son, Wily Gali (2004-05) recorded 31 singles victories, the third-high-est single-season total in school history. Gali was named First Team All-MAC, earned The Vredevelt Sportsman of the Year Award and was the fi rst player in NIU men’s tennis history to be named MAC Player

of the Year. Upon losing key contributors like Gali, the 2005-06 men’s tennis team found itself in a rebuilding mode that saw a true freshman as-cend to the No. 1 singles position for the Huskies. Under Hiort’s able tutelage, freshman Brian Livingston became one of the most successful fi rst-year singles competitors in the history of the program. Hiort guided Livingston to a 20-win season, garnering second team All-MAC honors and the MAC Newcomer of the Year trophy. Throughout the course of the 2006-07 season, Hiort and the Huskies endured a challenging schedule as they squared off against four nation-ally-ranked opponents, including the 38th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers, en route to a 10-12 record in match play. The young team struggled early but bounced back to fi nish the season strong by winning four of the last six matches, including a fi rst round victory over Buffalo at the MAC Championships. Hiort has tutored some of greatest tennis players in NIU men’s ten-nis history, including Gali and Livingston. Throughout Hiort’s tenure as head and assistant coach, he has worked with seven different players that earned All-MAC notoriety, three Vredevelt Sportsmanship Award winners, two MAC Newcomers of the Year and one MAC Player of the Year. During his time as former head coach Steven Rodecap’s right-hand man, Hiort helped lead the Huskies to three consecutive winning sea-sons starting in 2000-01. He was on hand as NIU charted new ter-ritory by making the school’s fi rst appearance in the MAC champion-ship match in 2003-04 after upsetting Western Michigan University on NIU’s very own Gullikson Courts in the league semifi nals. A veteran of major tournaments in his native Sweden as a player, Hiort brought extensive tennis knowledge gained as a competitor. In fact, Hiort at one-time earned a ranking of No. 89 in Sweden. On the collegiate level, Hiort played No. 1 and No. 2 singles for Murray State University from 1992-96 and garnered All-Ohio Valley Conference honors while also earning the 1996 OVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor. Hiort received a Bachelor of Arts degree for history and German in 1995. He completed his master’s degree in history from MSU in 1997 and earned a Ph.D. in history from NIU in 2007.

HIORT’S CAREER COACHING RECORD

Overall ConferenceYear W L W L2004 18 6 3 22005 13 10 2 32006 6 14 1 4 2007 10 12 1 4Totals 47 42 7 13* Advanced to the MAC Semifi nals three-straight years.* Advanced to the MAC Championship in 2004.

Pontus Hiort

Head Coach

Fifth Season

Murray State University ‘96


MEET THE HUSKIES

(L-R): Alfonso Monroy, Diego Zegarra-Ballon, Brian Livingston, Alex Friesen, Matt Hanson, Jimmy Chu, Adam Ford, Javier Bernabe. Not pictured: Shaun Stewart.

Name Height Year Hometown/High School/Last SchoolJavier Bernabe 5-11 Sophomore Segovia, Spain/IES Mariano QuintanillaJimmy Chu 5-11 Junior Lima, Peru/San AugustinAdam Ford 5-10 Senior Grand Rapids, Michigan/Forest Hills CentralAlex Friesen 6-3 Senior Vancouver, British Columbia/Burnaby CentralMatt Hansen 6-3 Freshman Topeka, Kansas/Miami Online (Fla.)Brian Livingston 5-11 Junior Skokie, Illinois/Niles NorthAlfonso Monroy 5-10 Junior Mexico City, Mexico/Colegio AlemanShaun Stewart 6-0 Junior London, Ontario/A.B. Lucas/St. Mary’s UniversityDiego Zegarra-Ballón 5-9 Senior Lima, Peru/Markham College Prep

Head Coach: Pontus Hiort (5th season)Graduate Assistant Coach: Brandon Lenfert (1st season)

Brandon Lenfert

Assistant Coach

1st Season

Eastern Illinois ‘07

First-year assistant coach Brandon Lenfert may have just completed his collegiate career at Eastern Illinois in May of 2007, but he brings an extensive coaching background to DeKalb. Lenfert, who was a three-year team captain for EIU, totaled 57 wins playing predominantly at the No. 2 and No. 3 singles; and at the No. 1 doubles position for the Panthers. Last season, Lenfert played a key role in helping EIU to their fi rst-ever national ranking at No. 75 overall. During the off-season, Lenfert spent three summers coaching at the University of Illinois Nike Tennis Camps from 2004 to 2006. While there, the Memphis, Indiana native learned coaching fundamentals and philosophies from former Illini coach and current Australian Open Tournament Director, Craig Tiley, along with current Illini coach and former private coach of Martina Navratilova, Brad Dancer. This past summer, Lenfert served as Director and Head Instructor of the 2007 Scott County YMCA (IN) Summer Tennis Clinic, while instructing and training junior and adult players from the Southern Indiana area.


2008 OUTLOOK Northern Illinois head men’s tennis coach Pontus Hiort’s recent squads have been on the verge of becoming one of the Mid-American Conference’s elite teams, as the Huskies have advanced to the tourna-ment semifi nals in each of the last three seasons. Now in his fi fth season as the Huskies’ skipper and with a roster full of experienced upperclassmen (3 seniors, 4 juniors), Hiort believes that his squad has the ability to not only compete with the rest of the confer-ence, but vie for the tournament title as well. “We have a very experienced team,” Hiort said. “The MAC, I feel, is more open than it has been in the past few years. “Hopefully we can get some leadership from some of these guys who have been through this three times before,” Hiort continued. “They know what to expect from the competition and what is required to be success-ful and hopefully they can steer the other guys in the right direction.” Leading the charge for the Huskies is junior Brian Livingston. Livings-ton, who enters the spring campaign ranked 28th overall in the ITA Midwest Region in singles play, has totaled over 50 singles victories in a little over two years of play. Last season, the Skokie, Illinois native went 23-10 overall on his way to fi rst-team All-MAC honors. “Brian has been our top player for the last couple years,” Hiort said. “If he continues to develop as he has in his fi rst two years here, he should be one of the top players in the MAC. “He plays at the top position and that means that he faces good competition every day,” Hiort continued. “He’s going to be one of those guys that will set the pace for the team and we look forward to that.” Livingston paired with senior Adam Ford in fall doubles action, and the duo responded with a mark of 7-3. For their efforts, Livingston and Ford were tabbed as the No. 14 doubles tandem in the ITA Midwest Regional rankings. Ford has shown gradual improvement throughout his career, increas-ing his win total in each of his three years. “Adam has really come a long way in this program,” Hiort said. “He’s now one of our pillars. He’s a great leader, very emotional, very intense. He sets the tone for the other guys.” Hiort’s line-up also includes returning senior and 2007 All-MAC second-team selection, Alex Friesen. Friesen enjoyed an impressive fall campaign where he garnered a mark of 11-4. The Vancouver, British Columbia native has over 100 combined victories in three years as a Huskie and that experience should prove valuable in 2008. “Alex played some of the best tennis that he’s ever played in the fall.

We’re just hoping that he can continue to develop. If he can play as he did in the fall, he’s going to be very successful in the spring.” Rounding out the senior class is Diego Zegarra-Ballón. Zegarra-Bal-lón looks to rebound in 2008 after missing most of the 2007 campaign due to injury and illness. As a sophomore, the 2007 Academic All-MAC team selection posted a combined total of 29 wins in singles and doubles action in 2005. “I know Diego is ready to make up for some lost time that he had last year due to injuries and this is his last chance,” Hiort said. “He’s ready to take on the challenge. “He’s been here before. He knows what’s required and I think he’s going to be a solid player.” Huskie junior Jimmy Chu enjoyed a breakout season in 2006, as he fi nished the year with a mark of 17-13. Chu rode that momentum into the fall and parlayed that into a record of 7-4. “Jimmy had a pretty good fall,” Hiort said. “He’s going to be one of those guys that we’ll look to step up and assume some leadership, play well and steer the other guys in the right direction.” Junior Alfonso Monroy rounds out the upperclassmen for Hiort, as the Mexico City native should continue to stabilize NIU’s doubles play, and provide some depth in singles as well. This past fall, Monroy went 5-3 in singles action and teamed with Zegarra-Ballón to fi nish 3-3 as a duo. “Alfonso came along nicely in the fall and fi nished strong,” Hiort said. “He comes into the spring season with a lot of momentum. “He was pretty successful in doubles last year and we’re looking for him to improve his singles play.” With a year under his belt, NIU sophomore Javier Bernabe fi gures to contribute even more. As a freshman, Bernabe went 9-10 in singles action and 3-3 in doubles play. “Javier started to play really, really well toward the end of the fall season,” Hiort said. “As a sophomore, it’s going to be a little easier for him because he knows what to expect. “He realizes that he can compete at this level and I expect him to have a strong year.” Despite missing the fall campaign with a wrist injury, freshman Matt Hansen has the ability to step right into the action in his rookie season. “It’s unfortunate Matt didn’t get much competition in the fall, but that’s the way the ball bounces sometimes,” Hiort said. “He’s played enough tennis in his junior days that he knows how to compete, which has prepared him well for collegiate competition.

Jimmy Chu Adam Ford Alex Friesen


“I expect big things from Matt,” Hiort continued. “I think he’s going to have a very successful spring.” Helping the Huskies’ bid for the tournament title is that they won’t have to compete on foreign soil, as NIU will host the Mid-American Conference Tournament at the Gullikson Tennis Courts from April 24-26. “It’s great,” Hiort said of the Huskies’ home-court edge. “It’s some-thing that the team is looking forward to and they’re excited about it.

“It defi nitely plays to our advantage and we’ll make the most of it.” Hiort saw daily improvements from his squad during the fall season and hopes that continues and culminates at the MAC Tournament. “By the end of the fall, we were approaching the level of consistency, intensity and commitment that we really need to have on a day-to-day basis,” Hiort said. “That was really exciting and a big step in the right direction.”

Diego Zegarra-Ballón Matt Hansen

2008 MAC TOURNAMENT

Northern Illinois University will host the 2008 Mid-American Conference Men’s Tennis Championship April 24-

26, 2008 at NIU’s Gullikson Courts.

Participating teams in the tournament include the host Huskies, Western Michigan, Ball State, Buffalo, Chicago

State and Toledo.

Last season, Western Michigan claimed its second consecutive MAC Tournament title and third in the last four

seasons with a narrow 4-3 victory over Ball State.

The last time NIU hosted the MAC Men’s Tennis Championship was in 2003, as the Huskies were narrowly

edged by Ball State, 4-2 in the fi nals.

Brian Livingston


MEET THE HUSKIES

Javier Bernabe

5-11 * Sophomore

Segovia, Spain

IES Mariano Quintanilla

2007 Highlights (Fall): Finished season with 8-2 singles record...brought home the Flight B title from the Drake Invitational...won the Flight B consolation title at the Marquette Fall Invitational.

2006-07 Highlights: Compiled a 9-10 record at both No. 5 and No. 6 in singles and 4-3 in doubles competition as a true freshman… advanced to Quarterfi nals at Marquette Fall Invitational…fi rst win as a Huskie came against Brian Quinn of Xavier in the Round of 32 at Ball State Invitational.

Prep: Attended IES Mariano in Quintanilla, Spain…won major tournaments in Madrid such as Las Rozas and Pozvelos…also won tournaments in Avila, Spain...defeated the 150th-ranked player in Spain.

Personal: Son of Ana Balas and Jesus Bernabe. Birthdate: December 2, 1988. Major: Business.

Jimmy Chu

5-11 * Junior

Lima, Peru

San Augustin

2007 Highlights (Fall): Finished season with 7-4 singles record and a 5-4 record in doubles matches...placed second in the Flight B championship at the Drake Invitational...defeated Marquette’s Brett Binkley (7-6, 3-6, 10-5) on the way to a Semifi nals appearance at the Marquette Fall Invitational… teamed with Alex Friesen to win two matches against Big Ten opponents in doubles competition on the way to a Sweet 16 appearance at the ITA Midwest Region IV Men’s Tennis Tournament.

2006-07 Highlights: Finished season with a 17-13 singles record at both No. 4 and No. 5 and went 15-9 in doubles competition, teaming primarily with Alex Friesen…led team with combined singles and doubles victory total of 32…came up big in MAC Championships by beating Yules Hadisbroto of Buffalo 6-2, 6-4…won Marquette Fall Invitational Flight B Title …advanced to Semifi nals of Drake Fall Invitational.

2005-06 Highlights: Had a combined singles record of 5-9 and a doubles record of 1-2 as a freshman…won fi rst MAC Tournament match against Buffalo.

Prep: Participated in Circuito Cosat during juniors…won many doubles title in under 16 and 18 divisions…fi nished ranked No. 7 in Primera Categoria Peru.

Personal: Son of Irene Wan and Rupert Chu. Birthdate: May 9, 1986. Major: Finance.

BERNABE’S CAREER STATISTICSSEASON SINGLES DOUBLES2006-07 9-10 3-32007 (FALL) 8-2 DNPCAREER 17-12 3-3

CHU’S CAREER STATISTICSSEASON SINGLES DOUBLES2005-06 5-9 1-22006-07 17-13 15-92007 (FALL) 7-4 5-4CAREER 29-26 21-15


MEET THE HUSKIES

Adam Ford

5-10 * Senior

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Forest Hills Central

2007 Highlights (Fall): Finished season with 5-3 singles record and 7-3 record in doubles matches...brought home the Flight A consolation title from the Marquette Fall Invitational...teamed with Brian Livingston to win the doubles title at the Drake Invitational…made a Sweet 16 appearance at the ITA Midwest Region IV Men’s Tennis Tournament after defeating Minnesota’s Raoul Schwark and Tobias Wernet (8-6).

2006-07 Highlights: Compiled a career-high 14 singles wins at No. 3 singles…named MAC Player of the Week (Mar. 21) after winning four straight singles matches over spring break…fi nished 3-2 in MAC competition…defeated Ball State’s Jarrod Epkey 6-3, 6-2 in MAC competition.

2005-06 Highlights: Went 11-17 in singles and 17-14 in doubles...defeated Michigan State’s Joe McWilliams 0-6, 7-5, 1-0 (5) in the Huskies’ Big Ten match-up on Jan. 14, 2006... partnered with Alex Friesen to win doubles title at Milwaukee Fall Classic.

2004-05 Highlights: Compiled a 9-12 singles record and a 13-8 mark in doubles…picked up fi rst MAC victory against Toledo on April 17.

Prep: Won the state singles’ title his sophomore and junior years...also part of a state championship team...earned all-conference and all-area honors all four years…ranked No. 1 prep player in Western Michigan by Grand Rapids Press…ranked as high as No. 49 singles player in Midwest according to USTA 18-and-under rankings…had a perfect 27-0 season in 2002.

Personal: Son of Cheryl and Robert Ford. Birthday: November 15, 1985. Major: Communications.

Alex Friesen

6-3 * Senior

Vancouver, British Columbia

Burnaby Central

2007 Highlights (Fall): Finished fall season with 11-4 singles record and a 5-4 mark in doubles matches...reached round of 32 at the ITA Midwest Region IV Men’s Tennis Tournament after winning matches against two Big Ten opponents...brought home the Flight A consolation title from the Ball State Invitational...teamed with Jimmy Chu to win two matches against Big Ten opponents in doubles competition on way to a Sweet 16 appearance at the ITA Midwest Region IV Men’s Tennis Tournament.

2006-07 Highlights: Named Second-Team All-Mid American Conference… fi nished season with a 12-16 singles record competing out of the No. 2 position for the majority of the year…defeated Big Ten foe Christian Bierich of Iowa, 6-4, 6-4…advanced to semifi nals of Marquette Fall Invitational and Drake Invitational…teamed with Jimmy Chu to win two matches against Big Ten opponents in doubles competition... compiled a team-high 17 doubles victories

2005-06 Highlights: Finished with a singles record of 15-17 and a doubles record of 16-14…Flight A singles consolation bracket runner-up at Ball State Fall Invitational…Flight A singles second-place fi nisher at University of Wisconsin Fall Invitational…partnered with Adam Ford to win doubles title at Milwaukee Fall Classic…selected as a Verizon Athletics Academic Excellence honoree…received the Huskies’ Academic Award for the 2005-06 season.

2004-05 Highlights: Produced a stellar 14-7 singles record as a freshman and went 12-8 in doubles…won consolation championship at Ball State Invitational…had six-match singles winning streak… picked up fi rst MAC Tournament victory against Toledo on April 28.

Prep: Owns 10 career victories over nationally-ranked Canadian players…fi nished in the top 10 in the singles bracket at the 2004 Canadian Indoor National Championships…fi nished his senior year (2004) ranked No. 4 in the British Columbia Provincial Rankings… ranked as high as No. 3 in the United States Tennis Association’s Pacifi c Northwest Section rankings during the 2003 season.

Personal: Son of Debra and Marvin Friesen. Birthdate: August 28, 1986. Major: Accounting.

FORD’S CAREER STATISTICSSEASON SINGLES DOUBLES2004-05 9-12 13-82005-06 11-17 17-142006-07 14-17 7-152007 (FALL) 5-3 7-3CAREER 39-49 44-40

FRIESEN’S CAREER STATISTICSSEASON SINGLES DOUBLES2004-05 14-7 12-82005-06 15-17 16-142006-07 12-16 17-102007 (FALL) 11-4 5-4CAREER 52-44 50-36


Matt Hansen

6-3 * Freshman

Topeka, Kansas

Miami Online (Fla.)

MEET THE HUSKIES

2007 Highlights (Fall): Did not compete.

Prep: Also competed for Washburn Rural High School in Topeka, Kansas…helped Washburn to a pair of state championships (2003, 2004) while earning all-City, all-State and all-Region honors in the process…competed nationally and was the National Open Doubles winner in May of 2007…National L3 Doubles champion in April of 2007…fi ve-time National Doubles runner-up…was the Missouri Valley Sectional runner-up in 2006.

Personal: Son of Eric and Jane Hansen. Birthday: July 1, 1988. Major: Business.

Brian Livingston

5-11 * Junior

Skokie, Ill.

Niles North

2007 Highlights (Fall): Finished the fall with a 7-4 singles record and a 7-3 mark in doubles...defeated Marquette’s Niko Boulieris (6-1, 6-3) and Mark Rutherford (6-4, 6-0) as well as Notre Dame’s Stephen Havens (6-3, 6-1)...reached the Semifi nals at the Marquette Fall Invitational...reached round of 32 at the ITA Midwest Region IV Tennis Tournament…teamed with Adam Ford to win the doubles title at the Drake Invitational…made a Sweet 16 appearance at the ITA Midwest Region IV Tournament after defeating Minnesota’s Raoul Schwark and Tobias Wernet (8-6).

2006-07 Highlights: Named First-Team All-Mid American Conference …led team with singles record of 23-11, competing in the No. 1 singles position most of the year…named MAC Player of the Week after defeating back-to-back Big Ten opponents in Nolan Polley of Wisconsin and Bart van Monsjou of Iowa…racked up six-match winning streak during the spring…won Flight A Marquette Invitational Title…advanced to fi nals of Drake Fall Invitational.

2005-06 Highlights: Finished with a singles record of 22-13 and a doubles record of 10-10 … selected Mid-American Conference Newcomer of the Year...earned All-MAC second team honors...started at No. 2 singles then took over the No. 1 spot…selected as the team’s MVP for the 2005-2006 season…earned a Flight A Singles fi rst-place fi nish at Marquette Fall Invitational… defeated Big Ten opponent in fi rst dual match competition.

Prep: Selected Most Valuable Player his freshman, sophomore and junior years...earned all-state honors twice...part of a conference championship team.

Personal: Son of Christine and Bruce Livingston. Birthday: July 8, 1987. Major: Business Marketing.

LIVINGSTON’S CAREER STATISTICSSEASON SINGLES DOUBLES2005-06 22-13 10-102006-07 23-10 11-142007 (FALL) 7-4 7-3CAREER 52-27 28-27

Shaun Stewart

6-0 * Junior

London, Ontario

A.B. Lucas Secondary

St. Mary’s (TX)

Prior to NIU: Competed for St. Mary’s (TX) during the 2006-07 campaign…fi nished season with a mark of 4-5 at No. 2 singles and 3-7 in No. 3 doubles…qualifi ed for Regionals with the Rattlers….as a freshman, competed for Texas-San Antonio…named the Southland Conference Freshman of the Year…named to the Southland Confer-ence All-Academic Team.

Prep: Two-time Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association and Western Ontario Secondary School Association singles cham-pion…helped A.B. Lucas to a pair OFSAA and WOSSA champion-ships…won the Ontario Masters Championship…ranked as high as No. 2 in Ontario.

Personal: Son of Steve and Melanie Stewart…born June 20, 1986…major is Communications.


MEET THE HUSKIES

Alfonso Monroy

5-10 * Junior

Mexico City, Mexico

Colegio Aleman

2007 Highlights (Fall): Finished fall with 5-3 singles record and 3-3 record in doubles matches...was second in Flight C at the Marquette Fall Invitational...reached quarterfi nals at the Ball State Invitational…teamed with Diego Zegarra-Ballón to reach the doubles quarterfi nal at the Ball State Invitational…qualifi ed for the semifi nals of the doubles fl ight at the Marquette Fall Invitational.

2006-07 Highlights: Closed the year with a 9-10 singles record and 11-12 doubles record, primarily teaming with Zegarra-Ballón at No. 3…teamed with Zegarra-Ballón to post a 3-2 record in MAC doubles competition.

2005-06 Highlights: Tallied a 3-8 record in singles and 5-11 in doubles play as a true freshman.

Prep: Ranked as one of the Top 10 juniors under 16 in the nation…fi nished third in nation in under 18 juniors…has played tournaments in Germany, The Netherlands, and Belgium.

Personal: Son of Beatriz Olea and Alfonso Monroy. Birthdate: June 27, 1985. Major: Business.

Diego Zegarra-Ballón

5-9 * Senior

Lima, Peru

Markham College Prep

2007 Highlights (Fall): Finished season with 5-3 singles record and a 3-3 mark in doubles matches...reached the Semifi nals at the Ball State Invitational...teamed with Alfonso Monroy to reach the doubles quarterfi nal at the Ball State Invitational…reached the doubles semifi nal at the Marquette Fall Invitational.

2006-07 Highlights: Despite injury-shortened season, fi nished with a 7-15 singles record and 8-10 doubles record…played both No. 4 and No. 5 singles, as well as No. 3 doubles with partner Alfonso Monroy...he and Monroy, compiled a 3-2 record in Mid-American Conference doubles competition…defeated IPFW’s Renan Constantino 6-4, 6-4 in singles conference play…advanced to fi nals of Drake Fall Invitational Flight B Singles and semifi nals of Marquette Fall Invitational Flight B Singles...named Academic All-MAC in 2007.

2005-06 Highlights: Finished the season with an 18-8 record in singles and an 11-11 doubles mark…won the Most Improved Player Award for the Huskies…captured the men’s open singles Flight C bracket at the Ball State Fall Invitational.

2004-05 Highlights: Recorded an 8-10 singles record and was 13-6 in doubles play…defeated Scott Hayden of Western Illinois to seal a 4-3 victory in favor of NIU…won fi rst MAC singles match against IPFW on April 24…picked up fi rst MAC Tournament victory against Toledo on April 28.

Prep: Finished prep career ranked No. 4 in Peruvian 18-and-under singles by the International Tennis Federation…played in all of Perú’s championships (regional, local, national)...nationally-ranked player… competed in the 1998 14-and-under South American Championships as a 12 year-old in Bogota, Columbia.

Personal: Son of Mónica Zegarra-Ballón and José Zegarra-Ballón Guercis. Birthday: January 14, 1987. Major: Industrial Engineering.

MONROY’S CAREER STATISTICSSEASON SINGLES DOUBLES2005-06 3-8 5-112006-07 6-10 11-122007 (FALL) 5-3 3-3CAREER 14-21 19-26

ZEGARRA-BALLÓN’S CAREER STATISTICSSEASON SINGLES DOUBLES2004-05 8-10 13-62005-06 18-8 11-112006-07 7-15 8-112007 (FALL) 5-3 3-3CAREER 38-36 35-31


HUSKIE RECORDSSeason Singles Victories Name Years No.Steve Wiere 1986-87 35Sunu Thomas 1994-95 34Wily Gali 2004-05 31Mike Hill 1985-86 31Marty Engel 1994-95 29Dan Bowers 1985-86 29Mattias Ardfelt 1996-97 28Sunu Thomas 1993-94 28Erik Andersch 1990-91 28Steve Wiere 1987-88 28Bill Hambach 1985-86 28Mike Hill 1984-85 28

Career Singles VictoriesName Years No.Sunu Thomas 1993-97 109Mike Hill 1984-88 102Marty Engel 1991-95 95Erik Andersch 1987-91 95Dan Bowers 1984-89 95Steve Wiere 1986-89 90Jim Shacklford 1982-86 89Mattias Ardfelt 1995-2000 80Tim Gullikson 1969-73 77Wily Gali 2002-05 77

Season Doubles Victories Name Years No.Mike Hill 1985-86 36Bud Booth 1985-86 33Pete Burkhardt 1980-81 27Jeff D’Adamo 1980-81 27Bill Hambach 1985-86 26Jim Shackleford 1985-86 26Erick Martinez 2002-03 25Raymond VanWasbeek 2002-03 25Carl Bengsoon 1996-97 25Sunu Thomas 1994-95 25Marty Engel 1994-95 25Mats Person 1990-91 25Dustin Dobin 1990-91 25

Career Doubles VictoriesName Years No.Mike Hill 1984-88 94Dan Bowers 1984-89 89Jim Shackleford 1982-86 85Sunu Thomas 1993-97 78Tim Gullikson 1969-73 78Tom Gullikson 1969-73 78Marty Engel 1991-95 74Dustin Dobrin 1989-93 66Raymond VanWasbeek 2001-03 61

Doubles Victories (continued)Name Years No. Mats Person 1988-91 59Steve Wiere 1986-89 59

Season Combined Victories Name Years No.Mike Hill 1985-86 67Sunu Thomas 1994-95 59Dan Bowers 1985-86 58Steve Wiere 1986-86 56Bud Booth 1985-86 56Marty Engel 1994-95 54Bill Hambach 1985-86 54Mike Hill 1984-85 52Mats Person 1990-91 51Dan Bowers 1986-87 51

Career Combined VictoriesName Years No.Mike Hill 1984-88 196Sunu Thomas 1993-97 187Dan Bowers 1984-89 184Jim Shacklford 1982-86 174Marty Engel 1991-95 169Tim Gullikson 1969-73 155Tom Gullikson 1969-73 154Erik Andersch 1987-91 152Steve Wiere 1986-89 149Dustin Dobrin 1989-93 139

Sunu Thomas (1993-97) fi nished his career as NIU’s all-time leader in career singles

victories with 109 wins.


HUSKIE HONOR ROLLIntercollegiate Tennis Coaches Association Academic All-America

Tom Gullikson, 1971, 1972

Arthur J. Ashe Jr. Scholar AwardSunu Thomas, 1994-95

NCAA Tournament Qualifi ersSteve Weiss, 1963 (Division III)George Martinson, 1968Herb Nold, 1970Tom Gullikson, 1970-73Tim Gullikson, 1970-71Steve Wiere, 1987

Player of the YearWily Gali 2005

All-ConferenceChris Neufeld, 1980Jim Shackelford, 1984-86Carl Bengtsson, 1998 (1st Team)Mattias Ardfelt, 1998 (2nd Team)Augusto Cantone, 1999 (2nd Team)Raymond van Wasbeek, 2001 (1st

Team), 2002 (1st Team), 2003 (1st Team)

Juan Pablo Barriga, 2002 (2nd Team) 2003 (2nd Team)Aaron Forsberg, 2003 (2nd Team)Eric Martinez, 2003 (2nd Team), 2004

(2nd Team), 2005 (2nd Team)Wily Gali, 2004 (1st Team), 2005

(1st Team)Brian Livingston, 2006 (2nd Team),

2007 (1st Team) Alex Friesen, 2007 (2nd Team)

MAC Newcomer of the YearEric Martinez, 2002Brian Livingston, 2006

The Vredevelt Sportsmanship Award

Raymond Van Wasbeek, 2003Juan Pablo Barriga, 2004Wily Gali, 2005

Academic All-MACMattias Ardfelt, 1998Carl Bengtsson, 1998Augusto Cantone, 1999Jan Palbo Barriga, 2003Aaron Forsberg, 2003Diego Zegarra-Ballón, 2007

Co-Coach of the YearCarl Neufeld, 1986

Player of the YearErik Andersch, 1991Marty Engel, 1992, 1994

All-ConferenceMats Persson, 1990, 1991Erik Andersch, 1990, 1991Greg O’Neil, 1990Dustin Dobrin, 1990-93Steve Senter, 1990-93Marty Engel, 1991-94Sunu Thomas, 1994Corey Westphal, 1994

Coach of the YearChuck Merzbacher, 1991, 1992Tim Madden, 1994

M i d - C o n A c a d e m i c A l l -Conference

Eric Gonzaga, 1994Sunu Thomas, 1994Corey Westphal, 1994

All-ConferencePeter Berka 1995, 1996Marty Engel, 1995Chris Hallowell, 1995Mark McGrew, 1995Ryan Rader, 1995, 1997Sunu Thomas, 1996, 1997Mattias Ardfelt, 1997Carl Bengtsson, 1997

Coach of the YearMickey Maule, 1995

Tom Gullikson was named an Academic All-American in 1971 and 1972.

Raymond vanWasbeek (2001-03) was a three-time All Mid-American Conference fi rst team selection.

Mid-American Conference(1975-86, 1997-present)

Mid-Continent Conference(1989-94)

Midwestern Collegiate Conference

(1994-97)


HUSKIE LETTERWINNERSThe following is a list of NIU men’s tennis lettermen since 1967. Records prior to that season are incomplete. The years listed indicate the spring semester (i.e., 1979 denotes 1978-79 school year).

ABowen Adajian, 1979-80Leroy Alexander, 1967Erik Andersch, 1988-91Dave Andich, 1968-69Mattias Ardfelt, 1996-98

BJuan Pablo Barriga, 2001-04Carl Bengtsson, 1997-98Peter Berka, 1993-96Javier Bernabe, 2007Emil Bijleveld, 1987-88Bud Booth, 1985Dan Bowers, 1985-89Keith Broadnax, 1975-78John Brooks, 1967-69Pete Burkhardt, 1978-81

CAndy Caldwell, 1993Augusto Cantone, 1996-99Jimmy Chu, 2006-07John Cordogan, 1986

DJeff D’Adamo, 1981Ken Darga, 1983

Dustin Dobrin, 1990-93Tom Dvorak, 1982-83

EEric Eberhardt, 1984David Edelman, 1992Buddy Edmondson, 1975-76, 1978Marty Engel, 1992-95

FKevin Finn, 1983Adam Ford 2005-07Aaron Forsberg, 2001-04Tim Freesen, 1999-2002Pete Freischlag, 1980-82, 1984Alex Friesen 2005-07

GWilly Gali, 2003-05Paul Gill, 1991Paul Glendenning, 2002Rick Goldwasser, 1983Eric Gonzaga, 1992, 1994Matt Green, 1992, 1994John Griffi n, 1977Ed Grinius, 1980-81Rich Grinius, 1980-81Nick Gryfakis, 1997-2000Tim Gullikson, 1970-73Tom Gullikson, 1970-73Stephen Guntly, 2003-04

HTim Halligan, 1988-89Chris Hallowell, 1994-97

Bill Hambach, 1985-86Ed Harvey, 1981-82Gary Hattendorf, 1985-88Mike Hill, 1985-88Kelly Holt, 1985Steve Holtz, 1983

KDavid Katz, 2005Roger Kilbride, 1970-71Jack Komar, 2004Charles Kraegel, 1967Brad Kramer, 1987-88Phil Kramer, 1975-78

LBob Laser, 1973-75Gene Lilly, 1974Brian Livingston 2006-07Jeff Long, 1988

MAndy Mabadi, 1991Suhel Malhotra, 1998-99Erick Martinez, 2002-04George Martinsen, 1967-69Drew McAfee (Mgr.), 1972Mark McGrew, 1995Jim McCafferty, 1967-69Brian McGuinness, 1985-87Jim Merkel, 1974-77Patrik Molin, 2000Alfonso Monroy, 2006-07Jim Moos, 1968, 1970John Mordhorst, 1969

NBob Newlin, 1970Carl Neufeld, 1976-79Chris Neufeld, 1979-81,1983Herd Nold, 1969-72Tom Nold, 1972

OTerry O’Brien, 1978-80Chris Olson, 1983Greg O’Neil, 1990Wolfgang Oswald, 1998-99Mattius Ottermark, 2000PRandy Panagopoulos, 1986-87Randy Paisley, 1977-78Gary Pedersen, 1973-74Jon Perlman, 1999-2002Mats Persson, 1989-91William Phillips (Mgr.), 1969-70David Pickel, 2002Dan Pitz, 1980Ralph Platz, 1989-90, 1992-93Mike Pokorny, 1975Doug Putz, 1975

RRyan Rader, 1995-98Rich Reaves, 1989-90Tyler Refl ing, 1996-98

SKen Schlecht, 1985-87Jon Schmidt, 2000Mike Schmitt, 1979, 1982

Ryan Schnack, 2001-04Andy Schoeberlein, 1991-94Steve Senter, 1990-93David Settelmyer, 1990-91, 1993Jim Shackleford, 1983-86Brent Sitarski, 1999-2001

TDave Tatosian, 1986Sunu Thomas, 1994-97Bob Thompson, 1971-74Bruce Trapp, 1970-72Mike Traub, 1973-74

VGregg Van Dine, 1984-85Raymond van Wasbeek, 2001-

03Tom Veverka, 1982Bob Von Boeckmann, 1967-69

WMatt Wakenight, 1977-79Corey Westphal, 1992-95Gary Whitworth, 1982-84Steve Wiere, 1987-89Andy Wiles, 1971-74Neal Wolf, 1970Bruce Wontor, 1979

ZDiego Zegarra-Ballón, 2005-07Radovan Zivkovic, 2000

2006-07 FINAL STATISTICSSingles Overall Fall #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6Brian Livingston 23-10 9-3 14-6 0-1 - - - -Alex Friesen 12-16 1-4 0-1 11-11 - - - -Adam Ford 14-17 2-8 - - 12-9 - - -Jimmy Chu 17-13 7-2 - - - 8-6 1-3 -Diego Zegarra-Ballón 7-15 2-5 - - - 1-3 4-7 -Alfonso Monroy 6-10 1-4 - - - - 0-1 4-5Javier Bernabe 9-10 2-3 - - - - 3-2 4-5Overall Totals 88-91 24-29 14-7 11-12 12-9 9-9 8-13 9-10

Doubles Overall Fall #1 #2 #3Ford/Livingston 6-12 - 6-12 - -Friesen/Chu 12-9 - - 12-9 -Zegarra-Ballón/Monroy 7-8 - - - 7-8Monroy/Bernabe 2-3 - - - 2-3Friesen/Livingston 4-2 4-2 - - -Livingston/Bernabe 1-0 - - - 1-0Ford/Monroy 1-0 - 1-0 - -Ford/Zegarra-Ballón 0-3 0-3 - - -Monroy/Chu 1-1 1-1 - - -Chu/Bernabe 1-0 1-0 - - -Overall Totals 35-37 6-6 7-12 12-9 10-11

2008 huskie menâ€™s tennis

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