GPC Owusu honored at US Open

GPC National Champion Menford Owusu Honored at U.S. Open

Georgia Perimeter College’s Menford Owusu, the national champion in No. 1 singles for the 2012 season, was part of the International Tennis Association Collegiate All-Star Team honored Saturday at the U.S. Open Tennis Championships in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.

“It’s a rare honor … for the program and the whole athletic department,” said GPC head coach Mohamed “Reda” Nait Omar.

As a freshman, Owusu led the Jaguars to a share of third place at the National Junior College Athletic Association Division 1 tournament in May by beating top-seeded Jair Assuncao of Laredo Community College of Texas 6-3, 6-2 in the final. Owusu was seeded second, having lost the 2011 fall final to Assuncao.

“He’s a great leader who really came through at a crucial time in nationals,” said Nait Omar.
Owusu attended the ITA awards luncheon at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center hosted by the United States Tennis Association as the men’s JUCO representative on the 29th ITA Collegiate All-Star Team. The team consists of the nation’s top-ranked men’s and women’s players from the year-end Campbell/ITA college tennis rankings in the three NCAA divisions, the NAIA and the NJCAA as well as winners of specified tournaments.

Before coming to GPC, Owusu appeared in Davis Cup competition representing his native country, Ghana. He decided to become a Jaguar to follow in the footsteps of his friend Salif Kante of Senegal, who won the JUCO singles title in 2011 and also played on the championship doubles team.

Owusu was a JUCO All-American, one of three 2012 Jaguars to win that honor. The others were Ismail Lemtouni and Davis Dawson, who won the doubles championship in the top flight.