Staten Island, NY - Wagner head men's tennis coach Joel Javan has announced the signing of Matthew Richards (Bayport, NY / Bayport-Blue Point) to a National Letter of Intent. Richards will be a freshman and have four years of eligibility.

Richards comes to Grymes Hill from Bayport-Blue Point High School where he earned six varsity letters and played at No. 1 singles since the eighth grade. A five-time Team MVP and two-time All-County selection, Richards helped the Phantoms to playoff appearances in each of his final three years. 

Over the course of his prep career, Richards was cited by Newsday, the Long Island Tennis Magazine and the Suffolk County Times while accruing an 83-23 record during league singles matches. He also won gold Gold at the 2008 Empire State Games and achieved a USTA 16 ranking of 76 in the Eastern Section.

An avid fan of Rafael Nadal and the New York Yankees, Richards is also a member of the Boy Scouts of America and works with elite junior players at Sportime Kings Park. 

The men's tennis team begins its 2011-2012 campaign at the Stony Brook Invitational on Saturday, September 10.