Maryland Men's Tennis Among Eight Varsity Sports Slated For Elimination; Styslinger Signs with Virginia

Last night I tweeted this Baltimore Sun article about the recommendation of an independent commission that the University of Maryland eliminate eight sports, including men's tennis. Today, Liz Clarke, who writes about tennis and many other sports for the Washington Post, filed this story about the proposed cuts, which include three women's sports. Maryland president Wallace Loh will have the final decision, according to Clarke's article, and it is expected to come before the end of the year.

Having seen both Colorado and Arizona State drop their men's tennis programs in the past five years, I shouldn't be surprised by this announcement, but I am, if only because it's an ACC school. Head coach Kyle Spencer, who was hired by a previous athletic director, is starting his third season as men's head coach. There are just two seniors on the current roster: Maros Horny, a transfer from Baylor and Mathias Sarrazin.

In contrast to the Maryland news comes this report that Penn State has hired an architect for a new swimming and indoor tennis facility. Given all the problems Penn State faces now in light of the Jerry Sandusky indictment for child sex abuse, it seems unlikely this plan will be implemented any time soon, but it does suggest a commitment to tennis, or it did.

With Bjorn Fratangelo making it clear he was not deciding on a college this fall, Mac Styslinger, No. 2 on the Tennis Recruiting Network's 2012 prospects, was the subject of great interest by powerhouses Southern California, Georgia and Virginia. The Cavaliers won out, and joining Styslinger in Charlottesville next year will be two other blue chips: Mitchell Polnet and Harrison Richmond. Ryan Shane, a fourth blue chip, announced his commitment to Virginia earlier.

This article from the Cavalier Insider contains comments on the incoming class from head coach Brian Boland. It also contains an error, in saying Richmond won the Orange Bowl as a junior. It was probably a misunderstanding, as Richmond did win the Junior Orange Bowl 14s title back in 2008.

I've collected several links to other signings on the men's side (I'll try to get to some of the women's signings later this week), almost all from the university athletic sites, but this one, on 10th-ranked Brett Clark's decision to sign with North Carolina, is from the Naples Daily News.

Florida State: Michael Rinaldi

Georgia: Casey Kay, Marco Nunez, Austin Smith and Ben Wagland

Illinois: Alex Jesse and Jared Hiltzik

LSU: Harrison Kennedy and Tam Trinh

Notre Dame: Alex Lawson, Quentin Monaghan and Ken Sabacinski

San Diego: JP Boyd

Texas: Andrew Korinek, Nicholas Naumann and Lloyd Glasspool