Oct. 16, 2000

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Jens Pillgram-Larsen- Men's Tennis- Freshman- Oslo, Norway- Oslo Privat Gymnasium

Freshman tennis player Jens Pillgram-Larsen has gotten off to a quick start for the Seawolves this season. The Norway native has wasted no time getting acclimated to a new school or new level of competition, not to mention a new country.

In only his second tournament--the Scott Satran Tournament in Queens, N.Y. two weekends ago--seventh-seed Pillgram-Larsen, who is the Seawolves' No. 1 singles player, defeated the defending champion and No. 2 seed Sergio Barbu in the quarterfinals, and won in the final by default over teammate Egil Anonsen.

Pillgram-Larsen is a perfect 10-0 so far this season, but says that the real test will come in the spring when Stony Brook faces the likes of Army and Princeton.

"We'll find out where we really are in the spring," Pillgram-Larsen says. "We have a lot of freshmen and sophomores, so no one really knows what to expect."

So far, Pillgram-Larsen has had no trouble adjusting to his schedule--two hours of practice a day, running and weightlifting twice a week and traveling to tournaments. Such a demanding itinerary is nothing new for Pillgram-Larsen, who spent the last year playing tennis full-time in Norway. Then, he spent 20-25 hours practicing a week, running and lifting twice a week and playing in tournaments every other weekend. Despite the rigorous agenda, Pillgram-Larsen achieved a junior ranking of No. 2 and was ranked seventh in the country on the men's circuit, all of which led head coach Gary Glassman to believe he would be a very valuable Seawolf.

"I knew he would be good and thought he would be our No. 1 singles player," Glassman says. "But he has exceeded my expectations."

Facing Anonsen in the final at the Scott Satran was also nothing new for Pillgram-Larsen, although an injury prevented Anonsen from competing. The doubles pair have been training partners and friends for about 10 years, and achieved their goal of attending college together with their arrival at Stony Brook this fall.

"We play pretty even tennis," Pillgram-Larsen says. "We've played so many times together, so we know each other's games so well. We just try to encourage each other and push each other to win."

Anonsen has provided a familiar face for Pillgram-Larsen, who says the hardest thing he has had to get used to is food court food instead of his own cooking. Pillgram-Larsen has also never had a roommate until this year, and says dorm life is something he has had to adjust to. But with teammate Patrick Drodzick as his roommate, getting used to living with other people has been fairly easy for the Norwegian.

Pillgram-Larsen has also had a smooth transition into his college curriculum. One of the main reasons he wanted to come to Stony Brook was because of its excellent computer engineering program, and so far the courses, although at a faster pace than his classes at Oslo Privat Gymnasium, have covered a lot of familier material.

"Jens is a very serious student and a very talented tennis player," Glassman says. "He's got all the tools to possibly pursue a career on the satellite circuit."

However, professional tennis isn't something Pillgram-Larsen is aiming for.

"Professional tennis is just too demanding," Pillgram-Larsen says. "I want to get my degree and give my body a break. When you play and work out as much as we do, it's hard on your body, and I'm going to have it for the rest of my life."

However, the freshman also says he couldn't imagine his life without the sport.

"I can't go more than one or two days without playing," Pillgram-Larsen says. "It just becomes part of you after awhile."

Although no one outside the Stony Brook tennis program knew what to expect from the Seawolves newcomers, Glassman and the team aren't surprised at the team's fast start--they have already won two singles titles in the young season. Pillgram-Larsen himself isn't that impressed with his accomplishments, either, even hough he has captured the No. 1 singles slot as a freshman and won all of his matches.

In just one month, Pillgram-Larsen has proven to be one of the Stony Brook tennis team's strongest weapons. Apparently, he is feeling right at home in Seawolves country.