Dec. 3, 2001
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – University of Notre Dame men’s tennis coach Bob Bayliss has announced the signing of five incoming freshman for the 2002-03 school year. Patrick Buchanan (Fullerton, Calif.), Shannon Buck (New Braunfels, Texas), Eric Langenkamp (Scarsdale, N.Y.), Sergey Leonyuk (Boca Raton, Fla.) and Steve Roszak (Shawnee Mission, Kan.) have signed national letters of intent to enroll at Notre Dame next year and join the Irish tennis team in the fall.
“I’m really excited about this new group of people who will eventually, I believe, leave their mark as one of the greatest classes in the tennis history of Notre Dame,” said Bayliss. “Each of these players has a great upside in his game with potential for significant improvement.”
“This class reminds me of the class of 1993, which when they were juniors, reached the finals of the NCAA championships.”
Buchanan will join the Irish after graduation from Servite High School. A year ago, he was ranked 27th among United States junior players 16 and under. He is currently ranked 43rd nationally in the 18-and-under division. Buchanan is ranked No. 20 among high school seniors in the U.S.
His father, Dennis, is a graduate of Notre Dame, where he was a cheerleader and participant in the Bengal Bouts boxing tournament.
“Patrick has the reputation of being one of the toughest competitors in junior tennis,” said Bayliss. “He makes you earn every point and has a terrific backhand. We feel very fortunate to land him.”
Buck recently moved to the San Antonio area and will complete his high school career at New Braunfels High School before coming to Notre Dame. He was the fifth-ranked junior player in the U.S. last year in the 16-and-under division and is currently ranked 32nd in the 18s. Buck is ranked 13th among American high school seniors.
“Shannon is very consistent and one of the best competitors in junior tennis,” said Bayliss. “His game is poised for a step up as he looks to become more aggressive. His fundamentals are very sound.”
Langenkamp is a senior at Scarsdale H.S. Langenkamp was ranked 34th nationally in the 16s last year and is currently No. 67 among 18-and-under players in the United States. He is the top-ranked high school senior in the Eastern section of the United States Tennis Association and is 33rd among all Americans entering college next year.
“Eric’s game really grew late last summer. He had strong showings in the National Junior Davis Cup and the Nationals in Kalamazoo, Mich. He has showed signs of taking his game to the next level by playing up in the court and taking the ball on the rise.”
Leonyuk is a native of Moscow, Russia, who now trains at the International Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Fla. He has done well in International Tennis Federation junior tournaments and Bayliss expects him to play at the level of a top 10-to-20 junior in the U.S.
“Sergey has a powerful and aggressive all-court game with a big serve and dominating forehand,” said Bayliss. “We hope he can be an impact player. I normally do not recruit internationally, but Sergey researched many schools and decided that Notre Dame seemed to be a great fit for him.”
Roszak comes to Notre Dame from The Pembroke Hill School in Kansas City. Last year, he was ranked 44th nationally in the 16s. Roszak recently won a designated sectional tournament in the MUTA. His father and brother, Mike (’01), are both graduates of Notre Dame.
“Steve has big weapons — a strong serve and dominant forehand,” said Bayliss. “He plays an aggressive game, which should peak in college. I believe his best tennis is ahead of him.”
Bayliss said there is a prospect of additional signings for the class of 2006.
“There are still one or two truly outstanding prospects that have an interest in Notre Dame. But NCAA regulations do not allow me to make any further comment on them at this time.”