NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State men's tennis head coach Mark Klysner announced the signing of five newcomers Monday: Manuel Bernhard, Igor Kolaric, Diego Le Gal Perez, Brandon Lew and Cameron Petersen. Below is a detailed look at each signee.
Manuel Bernhard | Zug, Switzerland | Incoming Freshman
Tennis Achievements: Was the Central Swiss champion in under 16, under 18 and the open category.
Klysner on Bernhard: "When Manuel came on his visit, I could see he right away fit in with the group of guys we have here. I got to spend some time with him, and he made it very clear he could see himself here. Having seen him play, I think he has a really good all-around game. I feel like he was somewhat under the radar to a lot of coaches, and I think he has a huge upside, and I expect big things from him."
Bernhard on Choosing Illinois State: "I was happy with the good athletics perspectives, there was a lot of team spirit, a very nice campus, and finally, I thought Coach Klysner was very responsible."
Planned Major: Business and Administration
Other Programs that Recruited Bernhard: Monmouth, Miami
Igor Kolaric | Birkenfeld, Germany | Incoming Junior
Previous School: Hawai'i
Tennis Achievements: Ranked as high as No. 1,639 in the world according to ATP, which was the best German singles ranking for his age group … Ranked as high as No. 2 under 18 and No. 10 in Germany … Played for the Serbian junior national team and won an International Tennis Europe singles title … As a sophomore at Hawai'i in 2016-17, went 4-11 in singles and 4-9 in doubles while consistently playing in the top two positions.
Klysner on Kolaric: "Igor has played numerous ITF and ATP events and earned an ATP singles ranking of 1,639. With his experience of playing high-level tournaments as well as having two years of college tennis under his belt and playing in the top spot, this will only help him transition easily into our program, and I expect Igor to play high in our lineup from day one."
Kolaric on Choosing Illinois State: "I chose ISU because I feel that it is a place where people support and take care of each other and where team achievement has priority."
Planned Major: Marketing and Management
Other Programs that Recruited Kolaric: Drake, Louisiana, Minnesota, Middle Tennessee
Diego Le Gal Perez | Madrid, Spain | Incoming Freshman
Tennis Achievements: Won the 2017 Madrid doubles junior championship … Ranked in the top-10 among juniors and the top-100 among men according to the Spanish national rankings … Has won several national tournaments.
Klysner on Le Gal Perez: "We're truly excited for Diego to join the team. He is coming off of most recently reaching the Spanish national championships in singles and doubles. He has a wealth of natural talent that we're excited to continue to develop. What impressed me most was his personality and character throughout our conversations and how supportive his family is, and I feel I have gotten to know them just as well. Spain has a tradition of producing great tennis players, and we're happy to be adding one of our own in this case."
Le Gal Perez on Choosing Illinois State: "ISU is a good university where I think I can best study my degree, and Coach Klysner showed a lot of interest in making me a better player and made me feel sure of my tennis future, with his goals for the program and a great united team."
Planned Major: Exercise Science
Other Programs that Recruited Le Gal Perez: Alabama, East Tennessee State, Purdue, UT Arlington, VCU
Brandon Lew | Highland Park, Illinois | Highland Park HS | Incoming Freshman
Tennis Achievements: Earned third place in doubles at the 2016 Illinois High School Association (IHSA) State Championship … Qualified for the 2017 Illinois High School Association (IHSA) doubles finals and advanced to the consolation semifinals … Recorded more than 90 victories in high school doubles … Was ranked as high as No. 8 in Illinois and No. 393 in the U.S. according to TennisRecruiting.net.
Klysner on Lew: "Brandon was a great pick-up for us, and I am truly appreciative of his desire to be a Redbird. He is a tremendous athlete with an all-court game, and he has been very successful in doubles as well. He has tremendous potential, and his best tennis is in front of him. We can't wait to get him here and see his game flourish."
Lew on Choosing Illinois State: "First off, when I visited the campus and met the team, I saw how strong the camaraderie between every guy on the team was on and off the court, and I was really looking for a team that had this connection. Also, I was looking for schools that were relatively close to home, and ISU was the perfect fit. Lastly, my parents are ISU alums, and I want to carry on this family tradition."
Planned Major: Finance and Insurance
Other Programs that Recruited Lew: Juniata College, Marian University, Wisconsin-Whitewater
Cameron Petersen | Randburg, South Africa | Incoming Freshman
Tennis Achievements: Won the 2015 South Africa Under 18 doubles title … Was a 2016 national under 18 doubles finalist … Was ranked as high as No. 1 in national Under 18 doubles rankings and in the top-10 in singles rankings … Was ranked as high as No. 501 in ITF Juniors.
Klysner on Petersen: "Cameron stood out from the recruiting process right from the start. I was so impressed with his personality and character, and it is evident that he comes from a fantastic family. Cameron has a lot of International experience and has a lot of notable wins against guys already in the U.S. playing Division I tennis. I think his game will mature nicely here, and he will be a great addition to our team."
Petersen on Choosing Illinois State: "While doing research on ISU, I found that it has a great business program. This is perfect for me as I am interested in business, specifically finance, so I will get the best for both my tennis as well as my education and business interests."
Planned Major: Finance
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