2009 Men’s And Women’s Tennis Awards Announced

ROCK HILL, SC - Carson-Newman College junior Amanda Bartlett and Mars Hill College sophomore Alessandro du Besse claimed the South Atlantic Conference's top tennis awards, the league announced today.

The awards were presented Thursday night in Rock Hill, S.C. The Food Lion SAC Men's and Women's Tennis Tournament continues with semifinals on Friday at the Rock Hill Tennis Center.

Bartlett (Powder Springs, Ga./Mceachern) went 9-2 overall and was a perfect 8-0 in conference play at No. 1 singles and was named Women's Tennis Player of the Year. She was 7-5 overall in doubles action, including 4-4 in conference play.

Du Besse (Rome, Italy / Sapienza Universitá di Rome) went 12-3 overall and 7-1 in conference play and was named Men's Tennis Player of the Year. In doubles play, he went 11-3 overall and 6-1 in doubles play.

Mars Hill's Erika Pinate (Caracas, Venezuela / St. Thomas de Villanueva) was named Women's Tennis Freshman of the Year. In her first season, playing No. 1 singles, she went 13-1 overall and 6-1 in the conference. In doubles play, she went 12-3 overall and 4-3 in conference matches. .

Alessandro du Besse

Amanda Bartlett

John Fichardt

Erika Pinate

Hunter Beal

Elizabeth Sneed

Michael Cabana

Paul Thompson

Lenoir-Rhyne University's John Fichardt (Bloemfontein, South Africa) went 11-8 overall and 5-3 in conference play as a freshman at the number one position and was named the Men's Tennis Freshman of the Year.

Brevard College coach Paul Thompson, who guided the Lady Tornados to a 16-5 record overall and 5-3 in SAC play, was named Women's Tennis Coach of the Year. Thompson becomes the first Brevard coach to earn Coach of the Year honors.

Wingate coach Michael Cabana was named Men's Coach of the Year after guiding the Bulldogs to their school's first conference title with an undefeated conference record. Cabana wins this award for the first time in his career.

Elizabeth Sneed from Carson-Newman was named the Scholar-Athlete for women's tennis, while Hunter Beal from Tusculum College received the Scholar-Athlete Award for men's tennis.

Sneed is a junior majoring in accounting and Spanish and carries a 3.96 GPA. She has been a key to the Lady Eagles' success the last two seasons. She went 9-3 in singles play this season and was 10-3 in doubles play. She is a member of Alpha Chi honor society, the Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Society and the Sigma Delta Pi honor society for Spanish majors. Sneedvolunteers weekly at Appalachian Outreach, a shelter for homeless and needy people, where she hands out clothing, toys, food and translates Spanish.

Beal is a senior majoring in Sports Science and has a 3.78 GPA. He went 8-11 in singles play, primarily at the number three position and was 14-7 in doubles competition. Beal is a three-time ITA scholar-athlete, and is a recipient of the NASPE Outstanding Major Award. He is a member of Alpha Chi Honor Society and has been nominated to the Tusculum President's Society. He is also active in community and campus activities, serving as a tutor in area schools, and volunteers with a local soup kitchen, Toys for Children campaign, a local assisted living center and took part in a mission trip to New Orleans to help restore a church.

MEN'S FIRST TEAM
Giuseppe Schwarz, Carson-Newman
Shahin Soltan, Catawba
John Fichardt, Lenoir-Rhyne
Hannes Ganss, Lincoln Memorial
Bastian Guenther, Lincoln Memorial
Alessandro du Besse, Mars Hill
Koeche Smith, Mars Hill
Mitchell Lvovsky, Wingate

MEN'S SECOND TEAM
Jarred Fisher, Brevard
Cole Altizer, Brevard
Matt King, Catawba
Felipe Sobrinho, Newberry
Steven Lin, Tusculum
Henrique Rodrigues, Tusculum
Braeden Patchell, Wingate
Bruno Pudence, Wingate

WOMEN'S FIRST TEAM
Kim Dixon, Brevard
Lindsay Shaeffer, Brevard
Amanda Bartlett, Carson-Newman
Elizabeth Sneed, Carson-Newman
Sophia Lopez Mimendi, Lincoln Memorial
Ann-Sophi Inderherberge, Lincoln Memorial
Erika Pinate, Mars Hill
Jennifer Sparks, Tusculum

WOMEN'S SECOND TEAM
Jen Denyes, Catawba
Kasia Zielinski, Catawba
Kate Meinrs, Lenoir-Rhyne
Patty La Rovere, Mars Hill
Katelyn Doss, Tusculum
Amanda Pike, Tusculum
Hollyn Alberghini, Wingate
Zoe Hartas, Wingate
Kara Stasikelis, Wingate

Senior Awards
Brevard College
Sam Johnston
Konstantin Savelyev
Emily Barrick

Carson Newman
John Borthick
Guiseppe Schwarz
Cassie Moulton
Emily Sorah

Catawba
Nikiah Knox
Sean Soltan

Lenoir-Rhyne
Jennifer Binney
Kate Meiners
From Mars Hill
Ugras Taylan Batuk
Kim Blythe
Adriana Borda

Newberry
Felipe Sobrinho
Daryl Van Vuuren
Kelly Cheesborough
Brittany Grooms
Allison Kyzer

Tusculum
Hunter Beal
Leo Guaycurus
Amanda Pike
Jennifer Sparks
Heidi von der Lage

Wingate
Jose Valarezo
Shawn Kindley