Aug. 3, 2009

Romeoville, Ill. - Lewis University head men's tennis coach Brett Bridel announced on Monday (August 3) that he will welcome his biggest recruiting class to Romeoville, as Jesse Hardacre (Racine, Wis./St. Catherine's), Will Cundy (Lansing, Ill./T.F. South/Moraine Valley C.C.), Matt Heidenfelder (Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove/Harper College), Nick Heidenfelder (Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove) and Brandon Tilton (Chicago Heights, Ill./Marian Catholic) will join the Flyers for the 2009-10 campaign.

"I am very excited about this recruiting class," Bridel said. "Not only did we add more depth, but we added some impact players that will contribute immediately for us. I believe that with this class of recruits and our returning six players, we have a chance to be very competitive."

During his career at St. Catherine's, Hardacre was a four-time state qualifier, including one third-place finish and two fifth-place finishes in the WIAA Boys Tennis State Tournament. He was also a four-time Midwest Classic South and All-County Player of the Year for St. Catherine's.

"Jesse is an extremely good athlete with a big serve and big forehand," Bridel said. "We know with Jesse's athleticism and work ethic, that he will develop the rest of his game quickly."

Cundy was a two-time NJCAA National Tournament qualifier at Moraine Valley C.C. As a sophomore, Cundy was selected to the All-Region Second Team for doubles play in 2009 and was an All-Region First Team selection for singles as a freshman in 2008.

"Will adds more depth to our program and with his playing experience, he can challenge and push some guys in the line-up right away," Bridel said.

Matt Heidenfelder enters the 2009-10 campaign as a junior after spending the previous two school years at Harper College, who does not field a squad. As a prep, he competed at both No. 1 singles and No. 2 doubles for Buffalo Grove, while finishing fourth at the conference doubles tournament during his senior season.

Heidenfelder's younger brother Nick competed at No. 1 singles as a senior and No. 1 doubles as a junior for Buffalo Grove, where he placed third overall in conference in doubles action.

"We believe that both Matt and Nick have tons of potential," Bridel said. "They both have great attitudes and a passion for the game that will help them make big strides in becoming college tennis players. They both will compete right away for spots in the lineup and will be counted on to perform."

Tilton, who was primarily a doubles player for Marian Catholic, was a two-time state qualifier for the Spartans.

"Brandon has a good understanding of how to play doubles," Bridel said. "He has a lot of potential for improvement, and with his track record of doing things to the best of his ability. There should be a noticeable jump in his game pretty quickly."

Lewis opens their fall campaign on September 12th, as they travel to Waterloo, Iowa to participate in the Upper Iowa Challenge.

A Catholic University sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis offers nearly 80 undergraduate majors and programs of study, accelerated degree completion options for working adults, various aviation programs and 22 graduate programs in nine fields. The mid-sized university is being honored for the fifth consecutive year by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. For more information please visit www.lewisu.edu.

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