Beaty and Johnston Sign National Letters of Intent with Wolverines
11/19/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Nov. 19, 2015
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan men's tennis head coach Adam Steinberg announced Thursday (Nov. 19) the signing of five-star recruits Nick Beaty (Wayzata, Minn./Wayzata) and Connor Johnston (Novi, Mich./Northville) to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period.
"I am really excited about Nick and Connor," Steinberg said. "I think they are going to make an immediate impact on our program. They committed early and it was really exciting to get two Midwest players because that was a big priority when I came here. What I love about both of them is that they have a lot of variety in their tennis. I think they are going to contribute in singles and doubles immediately, which is not always the case. One thing that is great about Nick and Connor is that they are great 'team' guys. That is the No. 1 priority for me because college tennis is all about being part of a team."
Beaty, who hails from Wayzata, Minnesota, is currently ranked as the No. 49 senior in the country and the No. 1 recruit from Minnesota. He has been ranked as high as No. 27 nationally in his class throughout his high school career. Beaty won multiple state championships at the high school level in both singles and doubles, most notably beating now-Nebraska player Toby Boyer in the 2014 state singles championship final. Beaty has compiled a winning record against both four- and five-star recruits.
"Nick has a ton of potential," Steinberg said. "The first time I saw him play, after five minutes, I knew I wanted him here at Michigan. He is a big lefty who has a great serve. He is somebody who can really make a difference for us. He is a smart kid who loves the University of Michigan. I really believe he is going to do great things from the start."
Johnston is from Novi, Michigan, and is currently ranked the No. 71 senior in the country and the No. 1 recruit from Michigan. His ranking has been as high as No. 40 throughout high school. Like Beaty, Johnston has had tremendous success at the high school level, winning the state singles title this past fall after finishing as runner-up twice. He was named Mr. Tennis for the state of Michigan after going 29-0 as a senior. Johnston attends the same high school as current Wolverine Tyler Gardiner.
"Connor is unique in that he will make an immediate impact on our doubles lineup as soon as he gets here," Steinberg said. "I think he will step in and really help on that front. He doesn't play with much fear and is another one who has a good all-around game, which I really like about him. He is a hard worker, and being from Novi, he loves the University of Michigan. He is very familiar with how we do things and will be a great fit for us."
These two five-stars will join an already young group as Michigan has no seniors on this year's roster. The Wolverines recently wrapped up the fall season and will start dual-match action on Jan. 23 at Kentucky.
Communications Contact: Sarah VanMetre
Players Mentioned
