May 23, 2003

South Carolina’s Seth Rose, ranked No. 48 in the nation, fell to 21st-ranked Todd Widom of Miami, 6-2, 6-4, in his round of 16 match. The match concludes Rose’s play in the NCAA Singles Championship.

“It was tough to bounce back from yesterday’s high of playing so well,” said Rose. “I had a different feeling today and it was tough matching the intensity.”

“Being an All-American is a huge accomplishment, especially for American kids,” said head coach Kent DeMars. “Sometimes it is just not easy to get up for a match the next day. I am really proud to see Seth achieve a goal that meant so much to him.”

Rose earned All-American status on Thursday by defeated sixth-seeded Janne Holmia of Florida. He became the Gamecocks’ first All-American since 2001 and the third since 1985. The West Palm Beach, Fla., native defeated No. 29 Richard Barker of Rice in his first-round match on Wednesday.

“Overall the singles tournament was an awesome experience,” said Rose. “By reaching All-American status, I achieved a major goal of mine and capped of a pretty good four years at USC.”

Rose finished his USC career by adding All-American to his resume of collegiate success. He also was a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll honoree, a two-time All-SEC selection and the 2000 ITA Region II Rookie of the Year.

“Seth will be hard to replace because he is the perfect example of someone you hope to recruit and develop,” said DeMars. “He came in at the bottom of the lineup and worked his way to the top and was a solid player throughout his career. Coaches like to see players continually improve and make themselves into a number one player as Seth did.”