INDIANAPOLIS -- Both turning in perfect records in conference play, Green Bay sophomore Michael Tenzer and Youngstown State sophomore Paula de Man were voted the Horizon League Men’s and Women’s Tennis Players of the Year, respectively.
All winners were recognized at the Horizon League Tennis Awards Banquet, held at the Riverwalk Banquet Center in Indianapolis on Friday night.
Sebastian Hagn of Youngstown State was voted the Men’s Newcomer of the Year, while de Man added honors on the women’s side.
Green Bay’s Craig Cox and Amy Nini of Wright State were honored with the Herb Foster Sportmanship Award at the banquet.
Leading Green Bay to its first men’s tennis regular season crown and a perfect League record, head coach Mark Thomas earned Men’s Coach of the Year accolades for the second time in three seasons. For the second straight season, Milwaukee head coach Sean McInerney collected the honors on the women’s side.
Tenzer anchored the No. 1 singles spot for Green Bay this season, going 6-0 in Horizon League play en route to a 15-3 overall mark.
In her first year with YSU, de Man went undefeated at No. 1 singles, leading the Penguins to the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament, the program’s best-ever finish. Overall, de Man is 21-1 while going 7-0 in League play.
Joining Tenzer on the first team was Green Bay teammate Erik Finkenbrink, while Wright State added the tandem of Hayden Joblin and Lauri Makikalli. Youngstown State’s Silviu Mistreanu and Jorg van der Vloet of Cleveland State rounded out the team.
De Man was joined on the first team by teammates Margarita Sadovnikova and Marta Burak, Maddy Soule of Milwaukee, UIC’s Mariana Palacios and Haley Craig.
The 2013 Horizon League Tennis Championships are being contested April 26-28 at North Central High School in Indianapolis.
2013 Men’s Tennis Awards
Player of the Year: Michael Tenzer, Green Bay
Newcomer of the Year: Sebastian Hagn, Youngstown State
Herb Foster Sportsmanship Award: Craig Cox, Green Bay
Coach of the Year: Mark Thomas, Green Bay
Men’s All-League Teams
First Team
Michal Tenzer, Green Bay
Silviu Mistreanu, Youngstown State
Hayden Joblin, Wright State
Lauri Makikalli, Wright State
Jorg van der Vloet, Cleveland State
Erik Finkenbrink, Green Bay
Second Team
Matt Kuelker, Cleveland State
Craig Cox, Green Bay
Alexander Raa, UIC
Sebastian Hagn, Youngstown State
Ali Shabib, Cleveland State
Eric Honert, Valparaiso
2013 Women’s Tennis Awards
Player of the Year: Paula de Man, Youngstown State
Newcomer of the Year: Paula de Man, Youngstown State
Herb Foster Sportsmanship Award: Amy Nini, Wright State
Coach of the Year: Sean McInerney, Milwaukee
Women’s All-League Teams
First Team
Paula de Man, Youngstown State
Maddy Soule, Milwaukee
Mariana Palacios, UIC
Margarita Sadovnikova, Youngstown State
Haley Craig, UIC
Marta Burak, Youngstown State
Second Team
Mathilde Orange, Cleveland State
Nino Sujashvili, Detroit
Dana Shannon, Milwaukee
Alex Bush, Cleveland State
Alex Power, Cleveland State
Kayla Tuscany, Wright State
