DURHAM, N.C. — Veteran head coach
D. Curtis Lawson has announced the signing of Oliver Saarinen, Neiman Sneed and Naresh Bharathy to play men's tennis and study at North Carolina Central University.
Saarinen will be joining the Eagles immediately for the spring 2022 semester while Sneed and Bharathy are both recruits for the 2022-23 season.
NC Central Men's Tennis Recruits…
Oliver Saarinen is 6-4 and is from Espoo, Finland. Saarinen, who speaks five languages, is originally from Germany. On the court, Saarinen is a two-time U21 national doubles champion and a U18 national championships singles finalist. He has represented Finland in several junior team European championships and earned an ITF junior ranking as high as 887 at the age of 16 before the pandemic.
"Although Oliver is joining us mid-year he brings a level of talent that will stabilize our lineup," said Lawson. "He is an excellent student and has experience that should allow for a smooth transition into DI tennis."
Neiman Sneed is 5-10 and is from Augusta, Georgia, and attends Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School. Sneed, who first competed in track, is a two-time state qualifier for the Titans. Sneed has earned distinction as one of the top-40 boys in Georgia and a 2021-22 USTA Excellence Team selection. Academically, Sneed has a top-10 academic rank in his class and is a Beta Club member.
"Neiman Sneed is an excellent student, extremely athletic, and he has a powerful all-court game," said Lawson. "Neiman has a tremendous upside that will prove to be very helpful in extending the depth of a very young Eagle squad next year."
Naresh Bharathy is 6-1 and is from the Triangle area, who played No. 1 singles and doubles at Green Hope High School. The New Hill, North Carolina, resident, who is originally from India, was a member of two conference and regional championships as well as a state championship team (2018) and state finalist team (2020) for the Falcons. Bharathy is a left-handed tennis player and has also excelled in the classroom, earning President's Award, Honor Roll status and being an NSHSS invited member.
"Naresh Bharathy is also an excellent student, who has a solid court IQ and is tactical player," said Lawson. "Naresh is a diamond in the rough and like Neiman will have the opportunity to make an immediate impact on the success of our 2022-23 season."
