He was fidgeting with his racket when the topic came up.

Jamie Hunt then released his grip, and let the racket plummet to the ground as he let out a loaded sigh of dejection.

The clanking of the racket colliding with the ground reverberated throughout the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.

“[It's] sad,” a subdued Nate Schnugg said. “Unbelievable. I can’t believe it went this fast.”

Nostalgic looks dawned the seniors’ faces as their eyes absentmindedly watched their teammates finish up practice.

“It gives you a little bit of a new perspective on things,” Hunt said. “You go out everyday, and try and not waste a day; try not to waste a minute.”

Schnugg and Hunt have been atop the college tennis ranks since beginning their careers as Bulldogs in the fall of 2006, and now the end to their illustrious collegiate careers has crept up on them.

“I’m 21-years-old already, and a senior in college,” Schnugg said. “We got one more year, and we’re going to make the best of it.”

The doubles duo has earned a national preseason ranking of two, as Schnugg is ranked fourth in singles and Hunt follows at No. 37. While recognizing this feat, the seniors refuse to allow their heads to be clouded by the hoopla and speculation that comes with the territory of being ranked so high.

“I told Nate when he first told me we were ranked two, I said, ‘Well, it’s nice that we’re two, but I’d rather be two now and [then ranked] one at the end of the season,’” Hunt said.

The twosome will lead their teammates in the first tournament of the 2009 fall season, as the Bulldogs are to host the 42nd Southern Intercollegiate Championships over the course of the weekend. The longest running fall tournament in the country will see 32 other teams saunter into the Classic City to compete for the championships.

“We’re looking for a Georgia guy to win the tournament and win doubles; we want to win everything,” Schnugg said. “Our games are really coming together. Everybody, up and down the courts, is playing great tennis.”

Even though time has been nipping at the coat tails of these two seniors and has now caught up with them, they realize they still have nine months to bask in the current lives they have built for themselves in Athens.

“Looking back, it’s hard to be disappointed that we’re here right now. After our first two years and last year we felt like we had [some] good seasons,” Schnugg said. “I’m happy it turned out this way, looking back now.”