WESLEYAN TENNIS HONORED BY USTA NEW ENGLAND AS EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF THE YEAR
(Cardinal Tennis Squads and Coach Lauded for Their Work in Advancing the Game)

     During an awards luncheon held at the Courtyard by Marriott in Marlborough, Mass., Saturday, March 1, 2008, Wesleyan head tennis coach Ken Alrutz (right in photo) and his daughter Rikki (middle in photo), an assistant coach with the team, received the Educational Association of the Year Award on behalf of Wesleyan, presented by the United States Tennis Association New England.  Also pictured is USTA New England President Ronald R. Friedman (left).
     Wesleyan received the award in recognition of its exceptional support for tennis in New England through tennis programs, player development, community involvement and partnership with USTA New England during the past year.  The men's and women's team's involvement with the Susan G. Komen Foundation since the fall of 2006 was a major factor in Wesleyan's favor as was the honor received by coaches Ken and Rikki Alrutz for their award-winning presentation "Yoga and Pilates for Tennis - A Winning Doubles Team."  That seminar won the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) New England Division top prize last May.  Coach Ken Alrutz also was the USPTA's New England College Coach of the Year in 2006-07.
     Coach Ken Alrutz has been in charge of the Wesleyan tennis program for four years.  Rikki Alrutz, who was recently named the team's primary assistant coach after serving as a volunteer assistant for several years, is a veteran tennis professional and captured first place in the Le Coupe de Marseille tournament in France in May, 2007.
      An outstanding tennis-playing family, the Alrutz' also boast 13-year-old Graham Alrutz, Coach Ken's son, who is the winner of numerous regional age-group tennis tournaments in recent months and the recipient of the USTA New England Boys 12 Sportsmanship Award.

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