On Saturday, February 2, he took the Senators on a season-opening road trip to South Carolina. There the team defeated NCAA Division I Winthrop University and then defeated NCAA Division II Lander University.
It was the win over Lander that handed Christianz his 100th win as the AUM men’s head coach. The win is significant in the opponent; Lander University, has been one of the best men’s programs in the history of collegiate tennis. From 1991-2000 Lander won 10 consecutive national championships.
Christianz has led AUM to three national championships and a semifinal finish in his first five seasons overseeing the program.
He has not backed down from any team and has always tried to find the best competition for his teams to play whether they are on the NAIA level of play or the NCAA. He feels this strategy may cost his teams some victories in the regular season, but will have his teams ready for post season play and the rigors that go along with playing several days in a row.
It is a strategy that must work as Christianz record with the AUM men’s program is now 100-15 (.870). Just this season, Christianz will see his team play teams from southern Florida to South Carolina to Georgia. They will face nine NCAA institutions with a total of 14 national championships among those institutions.
The Senators will also face some of the toughest competition in small college tennis when they host the annual Small College Blue & Gray Tournament and the AUM Invitational.
Christianz players not only win on the court, but in the classroom as well. His teams regularly have a 3.0 team grade point average or better and has had one of his players win the AUM Men’s Scholar Award as the student-athlete with the highest GPA two of the past three years.
So while a lot of people see the championship banners that hang in the AUM Physical Education Complex, they don’t see the hard work and dedication Christianz has shown to his student-athletes and to the men’s tennis program, but those familiar with his work certainly see it.