Burtzlaff-Thomas selected to NCAA Division III doubles tournament
INDIANAPOLIS - The season is not over for two Salisbury University men's tennis players as juniors Scott Burtzlaff and Evan Thomas were selected to participate in the 2009 NCAA Division III Doubles Tournament on May 22-24 hosted by Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, and Scripps Colleges in Claremont, Calif., at the Biszantz Family Tennis Center.
Burtzlaff and Thomas were the top doubles team for the No. 30 Sea Gulls, the Capital Athletic Conference runners-up. The duo posted a 13-5 record (.722 winning percentage) and are ranked No. 3 in the Atlantic South Region. Burtzlaff-Thomas is one of 16 doubles pairs selected to compete in the national doubles draw comprised of the top four doubles teams from four regions: West, North, South, and East. Teams for the doubles field were selected based on strength of schedule, win-loss record and eligibility.
The Sea Gull pair posted a 1-2 doubles record against two other doubles pairs selected for the competition. Burtzlaff-Thomas split two matches against CAC champion University of Mary Washington's top pair of Randy Loden and Kaz Murata. Bowdoin's top pair of Jamie Neely and Oscar Pena defeated Burtzlaff-Thomas 8-5 during SU's Spring Break trip to California.
This will be Burtzlaff's second consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament as he participated last season in the national doubles championship with senior Brendan Kincaid, now a current assistant coach with the Sea Gulls. Burtzlaff-Kincaid lost to Middlebury College in the first round.
Salisbury, ranked No. 7 in the Atlantic South region, finished the season with a 14-7 record.
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