May 14, 2007

Tulsa, Okla. - The University of Tulsa men's tennis assistant coach Michael Wheelen has been selected as the ITA Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year.

Wheelen helped guide the Golden Hurricane men to a 19-7 record and their second-straight Conference USA championship.

The squad earned the program's ninth bid to the NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Championship and will be represented in both the individual singles and doubles tournaments in Athens, Ga.

The Hurricane compiled a 14-7 record this season against ranked competition and tore through the C-USA Tournament, outscoring its three opponents 13-0 on the way to a championship.

TU singles players amassed a 142-86 record over the year, and doubles teams finished with an impressive 89-46 mark.

During the fall season, he helped coach nationally-ranked Arnau Brugues to the school and the conference's first ever tennis national championship when he stormed the competition to win the Polo Ralph Lauren All-American Tennis Championships.

The Hurricane qualified Brugues and Ricardo Soriano to the ITA National Indoor Championships in singles, as well as Diego Camacho and Ross Cunningham in doubles.

Off the court, Wheelen has help coordinate the "First Serve" program that caters to underprivileged youth in the Tulsa area, as well as "Kids Day" where area children are exposed to the sport of tennis and taught the importance of good sportsmanship.