LEXINGTON, Ky. ? University of Kentucky men?s tennis signee, Patrick Bandy, received the 2007 John Harlow Sportsmanship Award from the Ohio Tennis Coaches Association (OTCA) at the organization?s annual awards dinner held in Columbus on Mar. 2.
To be eligible for the award, a player must reach the semifinals of the state tennis tournament and exhibit outstanding gamesmanship. The candidates are nominated by state tournament officials during the tournament and later discussed prior to voting on the award?s recipient. The Harlow award is named after John P. Harlow a former Ohio state tournament official, coach and teacher who lived and believed in great sportsmanship.
Bandy signed with UK in the 2007 fall signing period and is part of a 2008 signing class that was ranked top-five in the nation by www.TennisRecruiting.net this winter. The Cincinnati native is ranked as the top recruit on the website?s list of high school seniors in the state of Ohio.
Bandy comes to Kentucky with recent championship experience while playing at St. Xavier High School. As the most valuable player on his Ohio State High School Championship team in 2007, the right-hander played in the state singles final. A year earlier, as a sophomore, Bandy won the doubles championship in the state tournament while his team won the first of back-to-back state titles.
?Patrick is a big, strong guy from a great family,? said Emery. ?He has a great work ethic and we feel he is someone who is going to get a lot better in school. We look for him to impact our line-up as a freshman.?
Murray State match re-scheduled for Thursday March 27th
Head Coach Dennis Emery announced the match-up with Murray State postponed due to inclement weather on Feb. 13, has been re-scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET at the Boone Tennis Complex on Mar. 27. The other foe originally scheduled on Feb. 13, No. 2 Ohio State, has not announced plans to re-schedule the contest this season.
Wildcats to play six matches in 10 days
After a 12-day break, the Cats enter the busiest part of their dual-match schedule this week with half a dozen contests in just 10 days. Kentucky opens this weekend with home-and-home matches against SEC teams from Alabama. The Cats visit the No. 23 Crimson Tide Friday at 3:00 p.m. ET; then host the No. 22 Auburn Tigers Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET. Next week UK hosts No. 32 Notre Dame Tuesday, followed by the re-scheduled Murray State contest Thursday and entertains No. 47 Mississippi State and No. 5 Ole Miss for the weekend.
