TEMPE, Ariz. (May 29, 2019) – Northern Arizona men's tennis senior
Tim Handel capped his decorated career with a spot at No. 73 in the final Oracle/ITA Division I Men's Rankings released by the ITA on Wednesday. Handel was the lone player from the Big Sky Conference in the last national rankings of the season.
Handel became the first Big Sky player to qualify for the NCAA Singles Championship in over a decade with his appearance last week in Orlando, Fla. Despite falling to Tulane's Ewan Moore in three sets, the three-time Big Sky Most Valuable Player compiled a sparkling 21-3 singles record this season for the Lumberjacks.
The Reutlingen, Germany native helped drive NAU's school record 19-match winning streak en route to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance by winning 14 consecutive matches of his own between the months of March and April. Handel competed for the 'Jacks at the No. 1 position all spring and was the only player in the conference to top 20 wins.
Handel made his debut in the national rankings on March 5 at No. 119 and was ranked in the last seven lists to end the season, reaching a peak of No. 71.
He concluded his four-year career in Flagstaff with a 63-25 mark in singles play and competed at the top spot in the Lumberjacks' lineup since his debut in 2016.
