MTEN | Gaels Sign Aussie Standout David Abfalter
5/7/2018 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
May 7, 2018
MORAGA, Calif. — Saint Mary's men's tennis will welcome another young talent next season, as David Abfalter will join the Gaels program, head coach Greg Kennett announced today.
"We are excited to welcome David to the Saint Mary's tennis family," said Kennett. "He brings a wealth of experience from his junior career, including being named the top junior player in South Australia"
A native of Adelaide, Australia, Abfalter attended St. Peter's College and was the team's captain in 2017. Abfalter was recently awarded the Don Turnbull Trophy for the best U18 player in the state in 2017-18. The incoming Gael qualified and was selected to represent the state of South Australia at the National School Tennis Championship (Pizzey Cup) from 2015-2017. That same year, he captained the men's team and was selected in the All Australian Merit team based on his performance in the Australia Cup U18 Singles Championships.
In 2016 he won the Kevin Horrigan Trophy for his performance in the Australia Cup Singles competition. In April 2018, Abfalter was ranked No. 1 in his state and No. 5 in the country for his age. Currently, Abfalter is in the top 100 in men's tennis in Australia, with a career high of 88.
"Throughout the recruiting process, it was clear that David not only valued his tennis achievements, he was equally interested in studying at one of the top academic colleges in the United States," said Kennett.
"David is a classy young man who will be an excellent representative of our program's values of athletic and academic excellence, and engagement in the community."
In 2017-2018, Abfalter claimed three singles titles and was a finalist in three other tournaments. An impressive doubles player as well, Abfalter won the 2017 U18 Bowman Cup and was a finalist in a total of three doubles tournaments.
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