All-Conference First Team
Embry-Riddle Headlines Men’s Tennis Honor Roll
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Sun Conference announced its men’s tennis All-Conference teams and individual award winners at the conference tournament banquet hosted by Embry-Riddle at the Sunset Harbor Yacht Club on Thursday. Embry-Riddle won three of the four individual awards as 13 individuals representing five schools were named to the All-Conference roster with seven appearing on the first team and six claiming second team honors.
The Coach of the Year award went to Embry-Riddle head coach Dave Paschal. Thursday’s award is the ninth of Paschal’s career at Embry-Riddle. Paschal led the Eagles to their ninth conference regular season title at 7-0 and they are the top seed in this weekend’s conference tournament. ERAU is ranked No. 1 in the NAIA and owns an 18-2 overall record.
Embry-Riddle freshman Deni Zmak was named the league’s Player of the Year. In his first season with the Eagles, he has earned a 17-1 record, including a perfect 16-0 ledger against NAIA opponents, playing the majority of his matches at the Eagles’ No. 1 position. A native of Pula, Croatia, Zmak is currently ranked third in the nation in singles and is part of the nation’s No. 1 doubles team in tandem with senior Chris Freeman.
Southeastern sophomore Will May was presented with the Champions of Character Award. Voted team captain by his peers, May organized several community service events, including feeding the homeless and completing a community revitalization project for a local middle school. In February, he was instrumental in bringing two young boys from South Africa to the United States for three weeks, during which time they resided in his home and he drove them to school, took them to many Southeastern University events, and supported all of their needs. May also found time to volunteer as the manager for the SEU men’s basketball team and has a 3.5 GPA.
“In the way of exceptional servant-leadership, Will May demonstrated an incredibly rare level of sacrifice when he both initiated and voluntarily surrendered 100 percent of his athletic scholarship, this for the sole purpose of allowing the program to have funds to recruit other members to the team,” SEU Head Coach Bill May said. “He received, at the time of his surrendering of these funds, no form of tuition waiver from the college, and he understood that he would have to cover the financial costs of his sacrifice.
“Will has demonstrated exceptional integrity and a desire to both serve and lead. In June, he will be a member of a team of student-athletes traveling abroad to Costa Rica for a mission’s trip. He is deeply respected by his community and has a very bright future as a man of character.”
Embry-Riddle’s Chris Freeman and Deni Zmak were tabbed as the Doubles Team of the Year. Freeman, a senior, and Zmak, a freshman, began their partnership at the beginning of March and have since gone undefeated, including wins against seven nationally ranked opponents. The duo brings an 8-0 overall record into tournament play and is ranked No. 1 in the nation according to the latest ITA/NAIA national polls.
Student-athletes were also recognized for their achievements in the classroom as 14 Academic All-Conference awards were handed out on Thursday. To qualify for Academic All-Conference honors, a student-athlete must have completed at least two full semesters at the nominating institution and carry a 3.5 or better cumulative grade point average. Northwood sophomore Jacob Alplund topped the list of academic honorees as he currently holds a 4.0 GPA in International Business.
Play in the 2013 Sun Conference tournament gets underway at 2 p.m. on Friday when Webber International takes on St. Thomas, followed by a Warner/SCAD match-up at 4:30 p.m. After receiving first-round byes as the tournament’s top two seeds, Embry-Riddle and Northwood take the court on Saturday. ERAU will take on the Webber International/St. Thomas winner at 2 p.m. and Northwood will close out the day against the winner of Friday’s second quarterfinal contest.
The tournament is being hosted by Embry-Riddle at the Crotty Tennis complex and the tournament champion will receive an automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship in Mobile, Ala., May 14-18.
Coach of the Year
Dave Paschal, Embry-Riddle
Player of the Year
Deni Zmak, Embry-Riddle
Doubles Team of the Year
Chris Freeman/Deni Zmak, Embry-Riddle
Champions of Character Award
Will May, Southeastern
All-Conference Team
|
|
Overall Record |
Conference Record |
|
First Team, |
Singles |
Doubles |
Singles |
Doubles |
|
Deni Zmak, Embry-Riddle |
17-1 |
15-3 |
5-0 |
5-0 |
|
Chris Freeman, Embry-Riddle |
19-5 |
19-6 |
1-2 |
6-0 |
|
Simon Felix, Embry-Riddle |
20-4 |
25-3 |
6-0 |
6-0 |
|
Alvaro Iturriaga, Northwood |
10-3 |
11-2 |
7-0 |
6-1 |
|
Anthony Grasso, Embry-Riddle |
14-4 |
8-6 |
6-0 |
4-0 |
|
Patrick Frandji, Warner |
10-6 |
10-6 |
3-3 |
5-2 |
|
Guilherme Azambuja, Northwood |
9-4 |
11-2 |
4-2 |
6-1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Second Team, |
|
|
|
|
|
Julian Ramirez-Luna, Warner |
6-3 |
6-3 |
3-3 |
4-2 |
|
Miguel Lopez-Gomez, Embry-Riddle |
14-4 |
3-3 |
5-1 |
1-0 |
|
David Spennare, Embry-Riddle |
22-2 |
3-3 |
6-0 |
1-0 |
|
Sergi Krasilnikov, Southeastern |
9-8 |
6-10 |
2-5 |
1-5 |
|
Jacob Alplund, Northwood |
12-1 |
|
7-0 |
|
|
Darnell Squbin, SCAD Savannah |
8-3 |
4-6 |
5-2 |
4-2 |
Academic All-Conference
Christopher Audino, Ave Maria
Patrick Besch, Embry-Riddle
Simon Felix, Embry-Riddle
Chris Freeman, Embry-Riddle
J.R. Leonik, Embry-Riddle
Jose Suger Saravia, Embry-Riddle
David Spennare, Embry-Riddle
Jacob Alplund, Northwood
Alvaro Iturriaga, Northwood
Diego Ortega, Northwood
Diogo Barros, Warner
Patrick Frandji, Warner
Jonathan Florez-Cohen, Webber International
Santiago Martinez, Webber International