News & Features

Bryan Welnetz has become somewhat of a legend in South Texas' tennis landscape.

Recently, when an 11-year-old player was asked where Bryan was going to college, the boy matter-of-factly stated: "Penn State." Asked how he knew, he said, "My coach said."

Indeed, Bryan has signed a National Letter of Intent and will wear the Nittany Lions' blue and white this fall. The word spread among local coaches in Bryan's hometown of Laredo, where as a junior he was feted for winning the 5A state singles championships in 2008. Word went further down south as well, through the Rio Grande Valley where Bryan is remembered as a young man who used to come over in search of practice matches.

And now that the five-star recruit has achieved his college goal, every aspiring tennis player in the area, including the 11 year old, wants to be just like Bryan - play good enough tennis to land a spot at a Division 1 college.

"I've watched him play since he was 12 and he has shown a lot of maturity," Roma High School Coach Eddie Marquez remembers. "I've seen him grow, improve so much and add so much to his game."

When Bryan and his teammates came to play at his school, Marquez told his students to "look at this kid and watch how well he conducts himself." Asked what makes Bryan such a good player, Marquez answers with a question: "Where can I start?"