Nathan Ponwith, who moved up to the No. 1 singles spot for the Georgia men’s tennis team in the last two matches, has been named the SEC Freshman of the Week for the third time this season, the league office announced on Wednesday.
 
 
Ponwith is 2-0 against a pair of ranked opponents at the top singles position for the Bulldogs and has helped his team to a 7-0 start in SEC play and eight wins in its last nine matches.
 
 
“Nathan’s progression this season has been really remarkable,” head coach Manuel Diaz said. “Not only is he doing a great job on the court for us, but he has also grown off the court as well. He is starting to show more maturity and is playing really great tennis at the right time. Congratulations to him on another honor this season, and I know it will be the first of many during his time in Athens.”
 
 
The Scottsdale, Arizona, native came to Georgia as the No. 1 recruit in the nation for the 2016 class. He has already made an impact in his short time with the program, earning back-to-back SEC Freshman of the Week honors in January. He is currently 10-3 in dual-match play, including a 6-1 mark against conference opponents. In doubles, Ponwith and Emil Reinberg, who play mostly at the No. 2 position, are ranked 48th in the country.
 
 
Ponwith is the first Bulldog to earn a trio of Freshman of the Week nods since current teammate Wayne Montgomery in 2015. Montgomery went on to win SEC Freshman of the Year that season.