Panthers Add Three During Spring Signing PeriodApril 24, 2007 MILWAUKEE - Three high school standouts have signed National Letters of Intent to play tennis at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, head coach Matt McCaskill announced today. Jenna Felsher of Pewaukee, Wis., Sammi Schoen of Brookfield, Wis., and Martina Schnapp of Boynton Beach, Fla., will all join the Panthers for the 2007-08 season. The trio of players will add to an already young Panther roster that has led UWM to its best season in 10 years. The Panthers have won 11 matches as a team while earning their highest Horizon League finish since 1997-98. Plus, four freshman have combined for 55 singles wins this season. "This is a solid group of players that will provide us with another big boost," McCaskill said. "I feel like this is two very good recruiting classes in a row and these additions should make us as deep as any team in the Horizon League. Jenna will bring a very high level of athleticism to our young team, while Sammi has been a major contributor for one of the real powerhouses on the local high school tennis scene. Plus, Martina brings a lot of high-level junior and international experience and should be able to make a lot of contributions." Felsher was a standout at Hartland Arrowhead High School, qualifying for the state tournament four-straight times. She posted a 31-8 record as a senior, finishing sixth in the Division I State Tournament. In all, Felsher tallied 89 singles victories in high school and was twice named an all-state performer. In addition to her sixth-place state finish as a senior, she won the Classic 8 singles title and helped Arrowhead to the league crown. She was also a two-time First-Team All-Classic 8 performer and a three-time Journal Sentinel All-Area honoree. Plus, Felsher excelled in soccer, earning all-state honors as a junior. She is a stellar student, posting a 3.5 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale.
Schoen helped local power Brookfield Central to the state title this past season, claiming the clinching victory at #2 singles in the championship win over Whitefish Bay. She also helped Central to the state title her freshman year, recording the clinching victory as BC rallied from a 3-0 deficit to claim a 4-3 win over Mequon Homestead. Schoen won 32-straight matches during her senior season before being upset in the state tournament. She was a two-time Journal Sentinel All-Area performer and won a total of 107 singles matches over her four-year high school career, qualifying for the state tournament three times. She has been ranked as high as #3 in the Wisconsin District and #86 in the USTA Midwest Section. Schoen has also excelled in the classroom, compiling a 3.8 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale. Schnapp is originally from Bratislava, Slovakia, but has lived in United States for past 12 years. In fact, Schnapp will be returning to the Midwest, having lived in Michigan for nine years before spending the last three years in Florida. She will be the first Panther tennis player with extensive international experience, currently ranking #1041 in the International Tennis Federation's World Rankings for players 18 and under. She has also competed at the highest levels of junior tennis, participating in both the Eddie Herr International and the Orange Bowl events in 2006. Schnapp has also proven to be a world-class skier, having won the gold medal in the slalom at the 1999 Junior Championships in Davos, Switzerland. Schnapp is solid in the classroom, posting a 4.2 grade-point average on a 4.5 scale. The current Panthers return to action this weekend at the Horizon League Tournament, squaring off with Cleveland State in an 8 a.m. CDT match Saturday in Indianapolis. |
