Oct. 7, 2009
- Iowa and the Big Ten Network
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch (2009-10 season)
Complete Release in PDF Format
THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa men’s tennis team travels to West Lafayette, IN, this weekend to compete in the Purdue Fall Invitational. Competition will begin Saturday and conclude Sunday.
HAWKEYE NEWCOMERS
The Hawkeyes have three newcomers on the squad this fall (sophomore Marc Bruche and freshmen Garret Dunn and Connor Gilmore). Bruche competed last season with the Baylor Bears. Dunn and Bruche each saw their first action as Hawkeyes this past weekend. Dunn recorded his first career collegiate victory at the Wildcat Invite and Bruche competed at the ITA All-American Championships.
2008 PURDUE FALL INVITE
Last season at the Purdue Invite Tom Mroziewicz and Christopher Speer saw their first career action and recorded their first career victories. Reinoud Haal was runner-up in Flight A and Tommy McGeorge was runner-up in Flight B.
2009 – A SOLID YEAR
The Hawkeyes finished 12-9 overall and 4-6 in Big Ten Conference play in 2009. Iowa was ranked 60th nationally in the final ITA Division I poll and was ranked as high as 52nd during the year. As a team, Iowa defeated five ranked opponents. Senior Christian Bierich, nationally ranked throughout the season, finished with a singles record of 11-9 and a doubles record of 10-10. Bierich, the fall Big Ten Singles champion, was a first team all-Big Ten selection. The honor marked the second-straight season a Hawkeye was named to the all-conference squad (Bart van Monsjou, 2008).
HEAD COACH Steve Houghton
Steve Houghton, the dean of Big Ten tennis coaches, is in his 29th year as head coach of the Hawkeyes. He has compiled a career record of 310-318 (.494), recording the most wins of any coach in Iowa men’s tennis history. Houghton recorded his 300th win at Indiana State Feb. 6, 2009. His best season came in 1984 when Iowa won a school-record 21 matches and two Hawkeyes earned all-Big Ten honors. Four of Houghton’s athletes have also been selected Big Ten Sportsman of the Year. He became the winningest coach in Iowa tennis history in 1992 and is a member of the Iowa Tennis Hall of Fame. While playing at Iowa, Houghton had a career winning percentage of .727 (40-15), second best in Iowa history.