By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Eduardo Mena adds to an already robust resume that makes him one of the most celebrated tennis players in program history. The two-time OVC Player of the Year finds himself way up the ladder in the Oracle Intercollegiate Tennis Association's preseason national rankings, coming in as the 33rd ranked player in the country, the highest spot ever in school history. The list, announced Tuesday afternoon, ranks the top 125 players in the nation.
Mena is coming off a storied junior campaign that saw the Bultrago del Lozoya, Spain native end the year ranked 54th in the country after rolling out a 17-2 spring singles record, all out of the vaunted No. 1 spot in the lineup. Mena helped pace Tech to both a regular season and OVC Tournament championship, going a perfect 6-0 in the regular season, before winning both of his clashes in the OVC Tournament. For his efforts, the 6-foot senior was named the OVC Player of the Year for the second-consecutive season.
After securing a bid to the NCAA DI singles championships, Mena became the first Golden Eagle ever to win a match in the national tournament, knocking off Baylor's Maxime Tchoutakian in last year's opening round action in Athens, Ga.
Mena is already off to strong start this fall, thanks to a stellar showing in the Southern Intercollegiate Championships, hosted by the University of Georgia, Sept. 8-11. The four-year Golden Eagle earned the No. 4- seed and a first-round bye in the field of 38, and made it all the way to the quarterfinals following wins over Georgia's Alex Phillips and Walker Duncan.
Mena is gearing up to compete in one of the most premier stages in DI tennis, the annual Oracle ITA Masters, Sept. 21-24 in Malibu, Calif.
Photo by Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
