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AUG.
25 — Goshen Searches Near And Far For '06 Talent
Local
product King and Illinois standout Sutter to bolster Leafs
roster this fall |
Goshen, IN — Looking to deepen a shorthanded 2005 roster and improve
on a 2-6 overall record, Goshen head men’s tennis coach Stan King added
a pair of standout recruits to his program this fall, bringing
local star Joel King (2006 Bethany Christian High School graduate) and Aaron
Sutter
(2006 Urbana High School, Urbana, Ill. graduate) to campus this
week. Both King and Sutter joined the tennis squad Monday, as Goshen’s fall athletic
programs began official pre-season training that afternoon.
“I am thrilled to have both Joel and Aaron here and with our program,” Stan
King said Friday morning. “Both are outstanding student-athletes, and
both bring talents and qualities to the court that will have
an immediate impact on our team.”
Joel King — no relation to head coach Stan — brings another recognizable
face to the unit, as he will join fellow Bethany Christian grad Tim Yoder
(senior) on the Leafs’ roster. A four-year varsity tennis player while
at Bethany, King held the number one singles slot for his final two years
of prep competition, putting up a 28-10 overall record at the top position
including a 15-4 mark during his senior season.
“Joel has athleticism, tennis skills and a desire to improve,” Stan
King said. “Those traits should have an immediate impact on our team
this fall and in the coming years. He is an outstanding young
man and student-athlete.”
A three-sport athlete while at Bethany, Joel King will play both
tennis and baseball while at Goshen — an opportunity that helped his
decision to stay close to home. Graduating as Bethany’s 2006 valedictorian
with a 4.0 cumulative GPA, King was co-captain of the Bruin baseball
team and voted Most Valuable Player at the 2006 season’s conclusion
— honors he duplicated during his junior and senior seasons on
Bethany’s men’s tennis squad.
“I decided to attend Goshen for several reasons, but sports was
the main one,” King said. “The other colleges I was looking at
didn’t allow me to play both baseball and tennis, but Goshen was very
flexible. I also liked the academic facilities better at Goshen.
They were cleaner, newer and more in tune with my view of classes than the
ones I visited
elsewhere. I am confident that Goshen offers the best place for
me to learn and grow as a Christian and responsible contributor to society.”
Sutter, meanwhile, arrives to Goshen from a larger high school
(Urbana’s enrollment was 1,324 last year), bringing with him a specialization
in doubles play and experience from a winning high school program.
While Sutter posted an 11-5 record at the number two singles
position as a senior,
his biggest accomplishment came at the number one doubles spot,
where he and his partner finished with a 25-4 record while winning
the Bloomington Invitational, Moline Invitational, Freeport Invitational
and
Danville Sectional.
Sutters’ doubles team was seeded eighth in the Illinois state
tournament and finished tied for 17th overall. Sutter received
third team all-state doubles
honors as a result.
“Aaron’s tennis game exhibits a high level of energy and aggressive,
all-court play which should have an immediate positive impact
on our program this fall,” Stan King said. “Aaron has been part
of a successful high school tennis program and brings lots of tennis experience
and skill
with him, especially at doubles play, an area of deficiency for
many players right out of high school.”
Like Joel King, Sutter brings a standout reputation in the classroom
as well, finishing with a 3.68 GPA following four years of high school. Sutter
said he plans to pursue business and accounting while at Goshen; King said
he will most likely major in biology.
“Goshen seemed like the right place for me in all areas while
I was choosing a school,” Sutter said. “I liked the small school
with good academics and the feel of campus life. Coach King made
me feel welcome from the very beginning. I think in the next
couple of years the
program is going to get back to winning ways and hopefully we
can get people interested in Goshen tennis.”
The Leafs will take the court for the first time competitively
when the squad hosts Indiana Tech on Tuesday, Sept. 5. Match time is slated
for 4 p.m.
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Joel
King