FLORENCE, SC – The Francis Marion University women's tennis team is ranked 11th in the final 2006 Fila Collegiate Tennis NCAA Division II Top 40 poll, while the Patriot men's team is ranked 15th.
The young Patriot women's squad finished this past season with a program-best 20-6 record, and earned FMU’s first NCAA Division II national tournament invitation in seven seasons. Francis Marion did not have any seniors listed on its 2006 roster.
Under the direction of 14th-year head coach Garth Thomson, the FMU women finished fourth during the Peach Belt Conference regular season and fifth at the PBC Tournament. Five of FMU's losses were to nationally ranked opponents, all of which were ranked 13th or higher.
Francis Marion appears in the end-of-the-season national poll for the first time since 2003, when the Patriots occupied the 35th position. Thomson has compiled a 158-133 career coaching record while directing the Patriot women. FMU rebounded from a 10-15 mark in 2005.
The FMU men also concluded 2006 with a program-best 19-3 record. FMU made its 11th NCAA Division II national tournament appearance in the past 12 seasons.
Thomson guided the Patriot men to a third-place finish during the Peach Belt regular season and a fifth-place showing at the conference tournament. All three of FMU's losses were to nationally ranked opponents.
The Francis Marion men’s program has appeared in the end-of-the-season national poll each of the past 11 years, and 12 of the past 13 seasons. Thomson has amassed a 209-96 career coaching record at the helm of the Patriot men.
The Patriot men were ranked 15th and the women 36th in the 2006 pre-season poll.
