GLIAC Champion Ferris State Inks German Men's Tennis Standout Till von Winning

Big Rapids, Mich. - After one of the most memorable campaigns in recent history, the Ferris State University men's tennis program has reaped the benefits of the success as head coach Chad Berryhill announced the addition of incoming recruit Till von Winning (Schopfheim, Germany) today (May 11).

A native of Germany, the 6-2 von Winning will embark on his freshman campaign with the Bulldogs this coming fall in the 2015-16 season. This past year, the Bulldogs won the school's first outright Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Regular-Season Championship since 1994, finished as the runner-up in the league postseason tournament and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

"We're thrilled to add Till von Winning to our championship program," Berryhill said. "We took a big step forward this season by winning the GLIAC Championship and we expect him to add significantly to our lineup as we get ready for next season."

The talented von Winning presently ranks as one of the top 40 players under the age of 18 in Germany and is one of the top 250 in the Under 21 age group. He has won several regional championships during his playing career and was the Baden-Wurtemberg state champion. He also qualified for the National German Championship.

Internationally, von Winning has also posted impressive results. He reached the Tennis Europe semifinals in Lisbon and also advanced to the quarterfinals in both Munich and Regensburg as part of the Tennis Europe competition.

von Winning will help offset the loss of a pair of Bulldog seniors from this past year in Laurent Galarneau and Aaron Dial, who both completed their eligibility as FSU advanced to the regional final in the NCAA Tournament. Together, the duo helped FSU to a league regular-season championship, conference tournament title and three NCAA appearances in their four seasons of action.

The Bulldogs posted an 18-7 overall record this past year and also made the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance in two years and 19th overall trip to the NCAA's.

This year's regular-season GLIAC title marked FSU's first outright crown since 1994 and first regular-season championship since sharing the title in 1999. The Bulldogs were a perfect 9-0 in regular-season action. Overall, this year represented the 16th time in the last 18 seasons in which FSU has advanced to the NCAA Tournament.