Presbyterian’s Ratchford Named to ESPN The Magazine’s Academic All-District Men’s At-Large Team

CLINTON, S.C. - Presbyterian College men's tennis player Paul Ratchford has been named to the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III College Division Men's At-Large Team announced today. The 10-member team will move on to the national ballot where they will compete for 2005 Academic All-America® honors.

Ratchford, a 6-0, 155-pound sophomore from Delta, British Columbia, Canada (Okotoks School), posted a 18-3 overall record in singles and doubles and en route to first team All-South Atlantic Conference (SAC) honors and was selected the 2005 SAC Player of the Year. He is ranked 28th nationally in singles and is fifth nationally in doubles with teammate Kshitij Dwivedi.

He helped lead the Blue Hose to an 13-9 overall record, a #27 national ranking, the 2005 Food Lion SAC Tournament title, en route to SAC Tournament MVP honors. In addition, he helped his team earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Southeast regional tournament in Boca Raton, FL as the Blue Hose made it's eighth trip to the postseason in the last nine years.

In the classroom, Ratchford is majoring in business administration and maintained a 3.83 grade point average. He has been on the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll for two consecutive years, the Presbyterian College Dean's List two semesters, and the President's List, for having a perfect 4.0 average, for one semester.

Student-athletes selected for Academic All-District honors must be a starter or important reserve with legitimate athletic credentials. Individuals must possess at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.00 scale) and must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing while completing at least one full academic year at his institution.

District III (college division) includes all non-NCAA Division I schools (Division II, III and NAIA) in Florida, Georgia, Virginia and North and South Carolina.