Kendall Ganus from Old Hickory, Tenn., and
Chandana Hemanthkumar from Collieville, Texas, have signed national letters-of-intent to continue their education and tennis careers at Kentucky Wesleyan College, according to Panther head coach Eric Larue.
Ganus, a five-year letterwinner at the No. 1 singles position at Davidson Academy in Nashville, compiled a winning record her last four seasons where she became the first player in school history to play in the Division AA state championship. She was runner-up in 2008 and semifinalist in 2009.
"Kendall is a very aggressive player with very big groundstrokes off both the forehand and backhand," said Larue. "Her aggressive style will translate well to the college game, and will make an immediate impact to the success of our program."
Her accolades include receiving the Athletic Award of Merit for tennis every year since eighth grade and the United States Army Reserve National Scholar-Athlete as a senior. She currently ranks 13th in Tennessee in the Girls 18's division by the United States Tennis Association.
Ganus started playing tennis at age 10. She is the daughter of Charles and Kathy Ganus and will pursue a double major in art and English.
Hemanthkumar, a 2010 graduate of Emma Willard School in Troy, N.Y., compiled a remarkable 30-2 record in three seasons. She earned the Most Improved Player of the Year Award as a junior and selected to the Tennis Leadership Council and team captain as a senior.
"Chandana has a great potential," Larue commented. "She will add much needed depth for our program. With her great work ethic, attitude and team first mentality, Chandana is a great addition to our team."
She won four Hoppy Awards for the most aggressive in a match over three seasons. She is the daughter of Kesavala and Sakunthala Hemanthkumar and will major in biology.
