Bearden's Patrick to learn up close

Photo by Amy Smotherman Burgess

Taylor Patrick

The Tennessee men's tennis team will increase by two in January although both additions won't play a role in any matches until next fall.

Bearden High School senior Taylor Patrick and Max Stevens will enroll in January.

"The decision to graduate early from high school is not an easy one but both guys are extremely eager to take advantage of the training we have here at Tennessee," said UT coach Sam Winterbotham.

"The decision though has given them a jump on fall 2009 because now they can come in and train with our players and coaches. Both players' plan is to be able to contribute immediately when they come back in the fall. The goal right now is to use the spring semester to fully acclimate to college and understand what it means to play at the University of Tennessee."

As a freshman, Patrick won the Class AAA state doubles championship with Hunter Maltzburger and was named PrepXtra tennis player of the year.

This past year Patrick won the Knoxville Racquet Club Mid-Winter Southern Level 3 junior tournament and the Pepsi Junior Open in Florence, S.C.

Patrick is ranked second in the state of Tennessee in boys 18 singles. He is a four-star recruit according to tennisrecruiting.net and is the 108th-best tennis recruit in the nation.

"Taylor is a phenomenal athlete," Winterbotham said. "He has so much potential to grow as a tennis player, and our plan for Taylor is to give him the necessary experience to allow all his talents to come out. I see him as being a real key to our success in the coming seasons."

Patrick is also the nephew of Lady Vols co-head tennis coaches Mike Patrick and Sonia Hahn-Patrick.

Stevens is from Dallas and attends Highland Park High.

He is ranked as a five-star recruit by tennisrecruiting.net and the 33rd-best tennis recruit in the class of 2009 and the No. 2 recruit in Texas.

He won the Boys 18 A singles division at the Bob Faulkner Super Champ in October and the Dallas Super Champ in May. He teamed with Ryan Lipman to win the Grade 3 U.S. International.

Stevens also advanced to the finals of the USTA National Open in El Paso in May.

"He's had great success in singles and doubles playing both USTA and ITF events around the world and I think he has a very bright future as a Vol," said Winterbotham.

Men's Swimming: UT has signed eight for the fall of 2009, including Herbie Behm of Catalina Foothills High in Tucson, Ariz. He is the top-ranked sprinter in the nation.

"Our new facility had some impact in recruiting," UT coach John Trembley said, "as did the success of this team thus far in the 2008-09 season. We are all pretty excited about the future of Tennessee swimming and diving, particularly for these newest Volunteers."

Behm's time in 50 freestyle is 19.8 seconds and 44.5 in 100 free.

The other signees:

n Paschal Davis of Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville. The sprinter is also a member of the Nashville Aquatic Club.

n Jordan Mauney of Baylor School in Chattanooga, who is expected to add depth in diving.

Sam Petersen, who trains with Berkeley Aquatics in Berkeley Heights, N.J., and specializes in middle distances.

n Giles Smith of McDonogh School in Baltimore. Smith is a strong butterfly and freestyle sprinter as well as middle distance swimmer.

n Ed Walsh of London was the 17 and under 50/100 sprint freestyle national champion.

n Seth Wensel of Christiansburg, Va., trains with the Gator Swim Club in Roanoke, Va., and is a middle distance freestyle and butterfly swimmer.

n Mike Zaczyk, who is a member of Pilot Aquatic Club and trains with UT volunteer-assistant and former Vol swimmer Jim Rumbaugh. Though he has only been training for 2 1/2 years, he has developed into a strong middle distance freestyle swimmer.