ITA ranks LSU men’s tennis, Venus

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• Published: Jan 7, 2009 - UPDATED: 6:48 a.m.

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The LSU men’s tennis team will open this season ranked No. 19 for the second-straight season and will have the second- ranked singles player in the country, Michael Venus, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association announced Tuesday.

The Tigers completed last season with a ITA ranking of No. 18 after posting a 15-9 record and reaching the NCAA round of 32.

Besides earning the nation’s No. 2 spot in singles, Venus appeared at the top spot in the ITA’s Southeast Regional rankings. James Cluskey joins Venus in the singles regional rankings at No. 24 and the duo of Cluskey and Venus hold the No. 12 doubles regional ranking as well.

LSU opens this season at the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships on Jan. 16-19 in Lexington, Ky.

LSU swimming and diving hosts UK

The LSU swimming and diving teams will begin a three-meet homestand at 4 p.m. today as the Tigers welcome Kentucky to the LSU Natatorium for a pair of Southeastern Conference dual meets.

The men’s competition matches two nationally-ranked squads. The Tigers (2-1, 1-1 SEC) are ranked 19th in the College Swim Coaches Association of America poll, while the Wildcats (1-3, 0-1 SEC) are 24th.

The women’s team (1-2-1, 0-2-1 SEC) is coming off its first dual-meet victory of the season at Florida Atlantic and will look to earn its first SEC win against Kentucky (1-3, 0-1 SEC).

Both LSU swim teams defeated Florida Atlantic last week. The men captured all 11 races they competed in. Clint Hallum and Hannes Heyl paced the Tigers with two event titles apiece. Jane Trepp spearheaded the women’s squad, registered first places in the 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke.

The LSU divers are back in action after the three-day Tennessee Invitational on Monday. Niko Dalman highlighted the Tiger efforts, posting top-10 finishes in all three events.

After finishing the fall on a four-match win streak including a victory over last season’s NCAA singles champion, Megan Falcon of the LSU women’s tennis team checked in at No. 5 in the first spring national rankings released by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association on Tuesday.

Falcon finished 13-4 in fall play as she captured a singles title at the Gopher Invitational in September and ended the fall by winning the consolation title at the ITA National Indoor Championships. In the consolation final, Falcon defeated third-ranked Amanda McDowell of Georgia Tech, 6-3, 6-3. McDowell won the NCAA singles title in May 2008.