Bucknell University Athletics
Men's Tennis Adds Four-Player Class
8/21/2018 9:39:00 PM | Men's Tennis
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Head coach Bruce Myers has announced the addition of four players to the Bucknell men's tennis team for the 2018-19 season. Making up the team's 2022 class are Cooper Bradshaw, Ethan Jacobs, Ryan Jurist, and Alex Pedrazzini.
Graduating four seniors, all of whom played in our starting lineup, we had some pretty big shoes to fill," Myers said. "All four incoming student-athletes will play in lineup right away - based upon ratings and rankings, we are a much improved team. But matches are not won with previous ratings and rankings, but rather hard work, dedication and desire to succeed. I am very much looking forward to the fall season. I know it is 'coachspeak' to talk about the immediate impact of recruits to the program, but in this case with the graduations and the high-level of tennis of the incoming student-athletes, I am confident that this might the most successful class at Bucknell in quite some time."
The team's four recently graduated seniors won 45 matches over four seasons and advanced to the semifinal round of the Patriot League Tournament three consecutive seasons from 2015-17. They made up 40 percent of the team's singles wins during the spring last season.
The following is a closer look at the four players that will attempt to fill the openings left by those seniors:
COOPER BRADSHAW | GLEN ELLEN, CALIF. (LAUREL SPRINGS)
Played for Team NorCal for three seasons (2016-18) ... selected to represent Team NorCal at the USTA National Campus in 2017 ... Laguna Creek Men's Open Doubles champion and Oakland Hills Tennis Club Open Men's Doubles champion ... rated a three-star recruit by the Tennis Recruiting Network ... son of Chris and Carter Bradshaw ... has two older siblings, Madison and Tucker.
Quote from Coach Myers – "Cooper was a previous four-star recruit from Northern California who took time away from USTA tournaments in order to play higher-level men's tournaments the last year. This will benefit him a great deal by competing against higher-level players than he would find in his section."
Why did you choose Bucknell?
Bucknell was my favorite school since the day I began my college search. The small school atmosphere that still has lots of pride for its athletics was just what I was looking for. I felt it was the perfect fit for me as I am a guy who likes to take what I do seriously but not take myself too seriously.
Interests outside of tennis?
I love to do any activity that is outdoors and always love to try new things. I also love to travel and experience other cultures. Additionally, I train service dogs for Canine Companions for Independence.
Goals for the upcoming season.
I hope to play my best tennis and win as many matches as possible. I would also like to really get to know my teammates.
Career goals and aspirations
I am currently unsure of what career I would like to pursue, however I am very interested in the field of psychology.
ETHAN JACOBS | NEW CITY, N.Y. (CLARKSTOWN NORTH)
Four-time team MVP, two-year captain, and four-year letterwinner at Clarkstown High School North ... all-state selection in New York as a senior after winning the conference and section titles ... three-time Rockland Player of the Year ... four-time all-league and all-county ... three-time all section ... went 55-1 during the regular season over four years ... led team to a league title ... rated as a four-star recruit by the Tennis Recruiting Network ... son of Marc and Shelly Jacobs ... has one older sibling, Zack, and one younger sibling, Ryan ... father played basketball at NYU ... mother was a professional ballerina for the New York City Ballet ... brother, Zack, plays basketball at Bard College.
Quote from Coach Myers – "Ethan was ranked 77th in the nation and was a four star recruit. Has improved 70 spots in the last seven months, so I am confident we are getting an even better player than the one who committed last fall."
Why did you choose Bucknell?
I chose Bucknell because it has everything I was looking for: Division 1 athletics, great academics, small classes, and nice facilities.
Interests outside of tennis?
My interests outside of tennis include working out, hanging out with friends, reading, and writing.
Goals for the upcoming season.
My goals for the upcoming season are to help improve the team's results and compete to the best of my ability during each match.
Career goals and aspirations
My aspiration is to make a difference in the world through sticking to my beliefs and values.
RYAN JURIST | MOORESVILLE, N.C. (LAKE NORMAN)
Two-time team MVP and four-year letterwinner at Lake Norman High School ... 2018 Conference Player of the Year ... two-time all-state in North Carolina ... four-time all-conference selection ... went 44-3, including a 9-0 record as a senior ... led team to four conference titles ... won two individual titles at the NC State Closed Championships ... rated a three-star recruit by the Tennis Recruiting Network ... son of Stephen and Kara Jurist ... mother played tennis at Saint Leo University.
Quote from Coach Myers – "Ryan is a former top-50 in the nation ranked player who took some time away from the game in order to recover from some injuries. He recently has been playing and competing in Europe which will help him to prepare for our upcoming season."
Why did you choose Bucknell?
I chose Bucknell because of the great alumni network, impressive undergraduate business school and the amazing school spirit.
Interests outside of tennis?
I love to travel and have been to over 30 countries. I hope to visit many more in the future. I also enjoy being with friends and water sports.
Goals for the upcoming season.
I hope to be an important part of the lineup and contribute to a Patriot League title!
Career goals and aspirations
I am in the business school and hope to work in finance on Wall Street one day.
ALEX PEDRAZZINI | COLOGNY, SWITZERLAND (ECOLE MOSERI)
Three-time regional champion in U16s and U14s ... ranked top 10 in his age group in Switzerland from ages 10-16 ... two-time quarterfinalist at the National Hard Court Championships ... Tennis Europe top 400 player in U14s ... team won the U14 national title ... son of Jean-Pierre and Susanna ... has two older siblings, Philippe and Caroline.
Quote from Coach Myers – "Alessandro is German born but currently lives in Switzerland. He's 6'4" tall due to a recent growth spurt and took a gap year in order to train predominately in Barcelona, Spain. As per NCAA rules he has not played in any competitive matches the last six months so the fall will be very interesting to see his level of improvement from his previous matches."
Why did you choose Bucknell?
I didn't know much about Bucknell before the men's tennis coach at Bucknell contacted me. I had posted a tennis video on Youtube back in September and received an invitation to Skype with Bruce a few days later. Bucknell seemed like a really good choice because of the conversations that I had with Bruce and some of the other tennis recruits, the challenging academic program that the school offers and the prospect of competing in Division.
Interests outside of tennis?
I enjoy spending time outdoors (hiking, fishing, running, biking), trying other sports and going out with my friends.
Goals for the upcoming season.
My goal is to win as many matches as I can, but also to improve on my game by building a stronger physical base.
Career goals and aspirations
I will be majoring in computer science, but am also really interested in finance. I don't have a clear career path in mind, however I will continue to learn as much as I can in college and see where my interests lead me from there.
Players Mentioned
