Sept. 10, 2007

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Four Illinois men's tennis players received selections to the 2007 Polo Ralph Lauren/ITA All-American Championships hosted by the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Okla., announced the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Senior Ryan Rowe leads a talented Illini contingent into the first ITA Championship of the season on Sept. 29-Oct. 7 and will be joined by senior Brandon Davis, junior Marc Spicijaric and sophomore Billy Heiser.

In conjunction with the selections, Rowe and Spicijaric also received nods in the 2008 preseason Fila ITA rankings, with Rowe coming in at No. 9 followed by Spicijaric at No. 63. Rowe and Spicijaric also garnered a No. 6 ranking as a doubles duo. For a complete list of the 2008 preseason singles and doubles rankings, visit itatennis.com.

Rowe, a native of Moline, Ill., will begin his journey at the All-American Championships in the singles main draw (Oct. 4-7), while Spicijaric earned a spot in the qualifying draw (Oct. 1-3). Spicijaric will need three wins in the qualifying bracket before advancing into the 64-player main draw to join Rowe. As a doubles pair, the Illini veterans will open their ITA All-American doubles title run in the 32-team main draw.

For Davis and Heiser, the road starts in the prequalifying draw of singles (Sept. 29-30), requiring both Illini to win six straight matches before earning a spot in the main draw.

Before heading to Tulsa, the Fighting Illini men will kick off the season this Friday with the Olympia Fields Country Club/Fighting Illini Invitational Sept. 14-16. The Orange and Blue will host Alabama and Notre Dame, which advanced into the NCAA Sweet Sixteen in 2007, and Miami, who was a 2007 NCAA qualifier.

For more information about the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invite, visit the official tournament web site available at fightingillini.com, on the men's tennis front page under the tournament logo link on the right side of the page.