The NCAA announced the 64 singles players and 32 doubles teams that will compete in the 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Championships and Dayton's Jordan Benjamin was included in the field as the automatic qualifier from the Atlantic 10 Conference. Benjamin, who had a perfect 16-0 record in dual match play this spring at the No. 1 spot in the lineup, is the first Dayton tennis player to qualify for the NCAA Championships.

 

Benjamin was ranked No. 123 in a recent batch of ITA Men's Singles Rankings, representing the only ranked player in the Atlantic 10 Conference.  Automatic qualification into the Division I singles championships is awarded to any conference with one or more eligible singles players ranked in the ITA Top 125.

The junior from Fairport, N.Y. spoke about how much it means to break through and become the first Flyer in the NCAA Tennis Championships. ADVERTISEMENT "Qualifying for the NCAA Championships means the world to me because of the hard work and sacrifices I've made over the three years that I've been a Flyer. I plan on training aggressively over the next few weeks, so I can make the most of this opportunity and play at the highest

 

level in the coming weeks." He also mentioned how his teammates can use his experience as motivation to achieve goals of their own, saying, "I want to set an example for the other guys on the team that if you stay determined and motivated, the goals you set are achievable!"

Head coach Ryan Meyer, who is in his sixth year at the helm of the Dayton men's tennis program, said he couldn't be happier for Benjamin. "I'm extremely excited for Jordan to have the opportunity to compete and represent the Flyers at the NCAA Championships later this month. His undefeated 16-0 record is a direct result of all the hard work he has put in over the years." Meyer spoke to what Benjamin's postseason appearance means for the Dayton program, "It's absolutely huge for our program. We have a team goal and continue to work towards playing on the national stage and this is certainly a step in the right direction.

The singles competition took place May 23-28 at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex in Winston-Salem, N.C., after the conclusion of the team championships, which ran from May 18-22.

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*Published on Atlantic10.com