Oracle Cup Draws
Juniors Jonathan Jemison (Marietta, GA) and Adrien Bouchet (Oakton, VA), along with freshman Will Wanner (Lancaster, PA), will represent the Emory men's tennis program this week at the ITA Oracle Cup. The event, held at the Rome (GA) Tennis Center, begins on Thursday (Oct. 12) and runs through Sunday. The Oracle Cup is formerly the Small College Championships.
The Oracle Cup includes the winners of the singles and doubles at eight USTA/ITA regional championships. The Oracle Cup include selections from NCAA Division II, III, NAIA and junior/community colleges.
Jemison will be competing in the D-III singles bracket as the No. 4 seed, with his opening match taking place on Thursday morning against JT Wynne of Skidmore College. Jemison played his way into this weekend's action after winning the ITA South Region Singles title.
This year, each of the four divisional champions (Divisions II, III, NAIA and JUCO) in singles will be automatically entered in the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships, which takes place November 1-5, in Palm Desert, California, where they will compete in the same tournament as the nation's top Division I players.
In doubles, Bouchet and Wanner enter the Oracle Cup unseeded. The Eagle tandem will square off against the No. 2-seeded team of Luke Tercek and Grant Urken from Bowdoin College. Bouchet and Wanner are coming off a first-place finish at the ITA South Region Doubles Championship.
The winners of the Division III doubles competition will advance to the 'Super Bowl' bracket of this weekend's action, along with winners of the other three divisions, to determine the winner the overall ITA Oracle Cup champion on Sunday, October 15.
Formerly known as the Small College Nationals, the ITA Oracle Cup has history dating back to 1986, and it is the only singles and doubles national championship event for the Division II and NAIA levels. This year, more than 8,000 players took part in a total of 60 regional tournaments to gain entry into the ITA Oracle Cup field.
Meanwhile, Emory will send a contingent of players to the Grizzly Open, which will be played on the campus of Georgia Gwinnett College. Action at the Grizzly Open begins on Friday and runs through Sunday.