Ferris State Tennis Inks Two Talented Michigan Natives In Fall Signing Period

Big Rapids, Mich. - Ferris State University men's and women's tennis head coach Chad Berryhill has announced the names of two student-athletes who inked with the Bulldogs during the fall signing period and will join the program in 2015.

The signees include Steward "Stew" Sell (Kalamazoo/Portage Northern) on the men's side along with women's newcomer Lauren Lomax (Portage/Central). Both are Michigan natives and will embark on their freshmen campaigns during the 2015-16 season.

Sell, who's the brother of current FSU women's tennis player Janie Sell, has competed at the number one singles flight the past four years for Portage Northern High School. The Kalamazoo native posted a 26-0 mark as a senior while winning both a regional title and the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Division II State Championship.

A three-time all-state recipient, Sell ranks as a three-star recruit according to TennisRecruiting.net and was ranked #1 in the United States Tennis Association's (USTA) Western Michigan section in 14's and 16's along with presently being #2 in the 18's category. Overall, Sell is ranked sixth in the state and among both the top 50 Midwest Boys in the 16's age group along with the top 100 of the 18's ranking.

"Stew is a great player and a great person," said Berryhill. "He knows our program quite well having his older sister as a current member of our Women's team.

"Stew's already accomplished game continues to grow and develop and he is a focused player with tremendous upside," he added. "He'll be able to contribute from day one on campus and I am excited to work with Stew and see him develop as a college tennis player."

Meanwhile, Lomax is the number one singles player at Portage Central High School and also a TennisRecruiting.net three-star recruit. She's won two national open doubles titles and was ranked in the top 16 in the country on the "Little Mo" National Circuit at the age of nine.

Lomax has won multiple USTA National Open Sportsmanship Awards and has been listed as high as #8 in the Midwest in the 14's group along with the top 80 nationally. She's also been a top 10 player in Michigan since the age of 12 until the present.

"Lauren is a very decorated tennis player will a wealth of tournament experience at the national level," Berryhill said. "She is an extremely talented competitor and one of the best players in the state." 

"More importantly, she is a great person with high character," he added. "She will be a great addition to our program and should make an immediate impact in both our singles and doubles lineup."

Both Ferris State programs recently wrapped up their fall seasons and will embark on their respective spring seasons in February. Berryhill is in his third season leading the Bulldog program.