Spartan Men’s Tennis Signs Josh Portnoy, Max Sheldon to National Letters of Intent
11/19/2020 1:22:00 PM | Men's Tennis
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State men's tennis head coach Gene Orlando has announced that Josh Portnoy (Okemos, Mich./Okemos High School) and Max Sheldon (Arlington Heights, Illinois/John Hersey High School) have signed National Letters of Intent with the program.
Here's a look at the two newest Spartans:
Josh Portnoy (Okemos, Mich./Okemos High School)
Ranked a five-star recruit by TennisRecruiting.net . . . ranked one of the top 100 players in the Class of 2021 . . . finished his high school career winning the Division 1 state championship at No. 1 singles . . . was named the Lansing State Journal Athlete of the Week following his state championship run . . . also helped lead Okemos to the Division 1 state team title . . . won five matches at the USTA Midwest Level 1 Championships held Nov. 7-9 in Indianapolis . . . won the 2018 Division 2 state title at No. 2 singles as a sophomore and was a finalist at No. 2 singles as a freshman.
Orlando on Portnoy: "Josh is a very talented lefty player with tremendous upside. We are super excited that he chose to stay home and be a Spartan."
Max Sheldon (Arlington Heights, Illinois/John Hersey High School)
Rated a five-star recruit, according to TennisRecruiting.net . . . ranked one of the top 30 players in the country . . . recently won the USTA Midwest Level 1 Championships held Nov. 7-9 in Indianapolis . . . ranked the No. 2 player in the state of Illinois and the No. 10 senior in the nation (TennisRecruiting.net) . . . placed runner-up in the Illinois 2019 Class 2A State Championships as a sophomore with a 37-3 record at No. 1 singles . . . helped his team to a seventh-place finish in the state tournament in 2019 . . . first-team all-state selection . . . two-time conference champion at No. 1 singles . . . had a top-16 finish in singles and doubles at the winter nationals in Orlando, Florida (December 2019) . . . also placed in the top 16 at the indoor nationals in November 2019 at Wayland, Massachusetts . . . won the Mid-Suburban League championship and was named the MSL player of the year as a freshman and also qualified for state tournament at No. 1 singles to earn honorable mention all-state accolades . . . also golfed in high school and helped his team to two regional titles . . . both of his parents played tennis in college (father Walter at Western Illinois; mother Chris Gilles Sheldon at Wisconsin).
Orlando on Sheldon: "Max is a fierce competitor and one of the top tennis players in the country. He's a great addition to our program that's on the rise!"
Here's a look at the two newest Spartans:
Josh Portnoy (Okemos, Mich./Okemos High School)
Ranked a five-star recruit by TennisRecruiting.net . . . ranked one of the top 100 players in the Class of 2021 . . . finished his high school career winning the Division 1 state championship at No. 1 singles . . . was named the Lansing State Journal Athlete of the Week following his state championship run . . . also helped lead Okemos to the Division 1 state team title . . . won five matches at the USTA Midwest Level 1 Championships held Nov. 7-9 in Indianapolis . . . won the 2018 Division 2 state title at No. 2 singles as a sophomore and was a finalist at No. 2 singles as a freshman.
Orlando on Portnoy: "Josh is a very talented lefty player with tremendous upside. We are super excited that he chose to stay home and be a Spartan."
Max Sheldon (Arlington Heights, Illinois/John Hersey High School)
Rated a five-star recruit, according to TennisRecruiting.net . . . ranked one of the top 30 players in the country . . . recently won the USTA Midwest Level 1 Championships held Nov. 7-9 in Indianapolis . . . ranked the No. 2 player in the state of Illinois and the No. 10 senior in the nation (TennisRecruiting.net) . . . placed runner-up in the Illinois 2019 Class 2A State Championships as a sophomore with a 37-3 record at No. 1 singles . . . helped his team to a seventh-place finish in the state tournament in 2019 . . . first-team all-state selection . . . two-time conference champion at No. 1 singles . . . had a top-16 finish in singles and doubles at the winter nationals in Orlando, Florida (December 2019) . . . also placed in the top 16 at the indoor nationals in November 2019 at Wayland, Massachusetts . . . won the Mid-Suburban League championship and was named the MSL player of the year as a freshman and also qualified for state tournament at No. 1 singles to earn honorable mention all-state accolades . . . also golfed in high school and helped his team to two regional titles . . . both of his parents played tennis in college (father Walter at Western Illinois; mother Chris Gilles Sheldon at Wisconsin).
Orlando on Sheldon: "Max is a fierce competitor and one of the top tennis players in the country. He's a great addition to our program that's on the rise!"
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