May 18, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - UCF men's tennis head coach Bobby Cashman announced Monday that a pair of Floridians - Sebastien Salzmann and Mario Samson - have both signed grant-in-aid agreements and will join the Knights this fall as freshmen. Salzmann, from Cooper City, attended Archbishop McCarthy High School, while Miami resident Samson went to La Salle High School.
Tennisrecruiting.net lists Salzmann as one of the top-100 seniors in the country and as the 17th-best prospect in Florida. In February, he advanced to the finals of the USTA Orange County Winter Designated in Orlando. Currently, he is participating in the USTA National Open in Naples, Fla., and has reached the round of 16.
As a junior at Archbishop McCarthy a year ago, Salzmann earned Miami Herald All-Broward County Second Team honors. In 2007 as a sophomore, he advanced to the Florida Class 2A singles semifinals.
"Sebastien is a winner. He has been winning for so long," Cashman said. "He has beaten top players throughout his junior career. He really knows how to compete."
A native of Paraguay, Samson has competed in several International Tennis Federation Futures events. In January, he participated in the USA F1 Futures tournament in Boca Raton, Fla., recording a first-round victory.
As a junior, Samson and La Salle teammate Santiago Nieto won the Florida Class 2A doubles championship. After the season, Samson received Miami Herald All-Dade County Second Team recognition.
"Mario is very talented," Cashman said. "He is a great athlete with good athleticism. I really think that his best tennis is ahead of him."
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