Four commit to East Carolina Men's Tennis Program

GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina Head Men’s Tennis Coach Shawn Heinchon announced Wednesday that three high school athletes have signed national letters-of-intent to attend ECU and play tennis with the Pirates beginning in the fall of 2009.

Ely Khoury of Greenville, N.C., John Schmitt of Raleigh, N.C. and Nat Smiley of Alpharetta, Ga. all inked with the East Carolina program while Andrew Bock officially declared his commitment to join the Pirate roster as a walk-on.

“We could not be more excited about our recruiting class,” Heinchon said. “Not only are all of these young men great tennis players, they are great students as well. We are fortunate to have these four student-athletes coming to East Carolina and I expect them to have an immediate impact throughout our lineup next year.”

Khoury, a four-star recruit, is currently the No. 4 prospect in North Carolina and 57th in the Southeast Region according to TennisRecruiting.net. As a freshman, he helped his J.H. Rose High School squad reach the state semifinal round. As a competitor in the 16’s Division, Khoury recorded one of his biggest victories of his career when he posted a 6-2, 6-1 win over blue-chip Alabama signee Ian Chadwell.

Another four-star recruit, Schmitt is third in the state rankings and currently stands No. 44 in the Southeast Region. On the Prince Boys’ Hot 100 list, a monthly ranking compiled by Prince Sports, Inc., he is listed at No. 89. Schmitt was the North Carolina Closed State Champion in the 16’s Division, reaching the top ranking in the state. In addition, he has also placed in the top five in three of the past four Tar Heel Qualifiers.

Smiley, a three-star recruit, is currently the eighth-ranked prospect in Georgia and is a back-to-back state champion after claiming titles in 2007 and 2008. He was selected as the outstanding sophomore on his high school squad before following with the outstanding junior award. Smiley is currently ranked among the Top 60 in the South by the United States Tennis Association (USTA).

The last of the newcomers, Bock ranks as the No. 7 prospect in North Carolina. As a junior at Terry Sanford High School, he won both the Two Rivers Conference and Eastern 4A Regional in doubles, was a state finalist in doubles and received all-state honors. In 2008, he also won the North Carolina State Closed Championship in the 18’s Division and the North Carolina Junior Clay Court State Open Championship for the same age group. Bock, also a three-star recruit, was the Two Rivers Conference and Eastern 4A Regional champion in singles as a sophomore and advanced to the state quarterfinals.

The Pirates begin their spring season on Jan. 23 at George Washington.