Peter Dindinger — NMMI Sports Press
Since he was hired as head Bronco men's and women's tennis coach at New Mexico Military Institute, Nathaniel Horner has been hard at work building up the foundation of the program.
It has been a difficult year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic but Horner has been using this semester as a time to recruit.
By this time next season, Horner hopes to have his team in the national conversation.
Two international players recently announced their commitment to NMMI.
Abdoul Shakur, a native of Bujumbura, Burundi, along with Tbilisi, Georgia native Elene Tatanashvili plan on attending the Institute next school year.
NMMI has had a recruiting pipeline from Africa over the past few seasons, and Shakur is the total package.
In the junior division he has been playing at the highest ranking within the International Tennis Federation.
"He fits the mold to NMMI quite well. Physically, he's a specimen," Horner said about Shakur. "We're excited to get him and have him come in and set the tone for what the culture will be for next year.
"I think he's going to come in and be successful right off the bat. He's extremely talented."
Currently, the Bronco men's roster consists of one player with freshman Carlos Gutierrez Ortiz.
NMMI is not an unfamiliar place to Shakur.
"I feel excited to play for NMMI. It is a dream (of mine). One of my close friends played there and told me about the experience, so I am ready," he said.
Much like Shakur, Tatanashvili, one of the first to be recruited from the eastern European country, fit the bill well for NMMI.
The Bronco women's roster is comprised of freshmen Linda Eloundou Nga and Manuella Eloundou Nga along with sophomore Idayath Lassissi.
Horner is excited to have her on board and believes she can make an immediate impact.
"She's so talented and has so much growing to do, and we think, just like Abdoul, she's going to come in right away and be successful," he said. "We're excited about her."
Both Abdoul and Tatanshvili are versatile and can be played anywhere in the lineup whether it's one through six, according to Horner.
Tatanashvili has big aspirations for next season.
"I am very excited and happy. It's the best place to develop my future," she said.
As the Broncos prepare for their busiest month of competition during a condensed spring, the future looks bright with plenty of talent returning next school year.
"They're exactly what we're looking for," Horner said of his highly touted recruits. "The recruiting this semester has been huge (and) this won't be the last you hear of NMMI (getting) a big recruit.
"The foundation is being laid. Everybody will be back next year. We're planning on being very successful."