May 4, 2008
Center Valley, Pa. - 2008 Champion Navy placed three student-athletes on the All-Patriot League teams, and took two of the three major awards, it was announced on Monday. Colgate junior Martin MacIntyre was named Player of the Year, while Navy freshman Owen Bullard earned Rookie of the Year. Navy Head Coach John Officer was named Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career. All-League selections and major award winners are chosen by the League's seven head coaches.
MacIntyre becomes the second Colgate men's tennis student-athlete to win Player of the Year honors, following Reed Hagmann, who won the award in 2005. The junior finished the spring season with an overall record of 14-5 at the No. 1 singles position, and a Patriot League record of 6-0. MacIntyre also defeated several regionally-ranked opponents in the non-League portion of Colgate's schedule. He also put together a record of 5-1 against Patriot League opponents at the No. 1 doubles position. MacIntyre was also named to the 2008 First-Team All-Patriot League for his efforts.
Bullard becomes the third-consecutive Navy men's tennis student-athlete to be named Rookie of the Year, joining teammates Nate Nelms and Ramsey Lemaich, who won the award in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Bullard posted a singles record of 26-8 during the fall and spring seasons, and clinched Navy's second-consecutive Patriot League Tournament title with a victory over Army at the No. 6 singles position.
Officer earns his second-consecutive and fourth-overall Coach of the Year award after guiding the Mids to 20 wins this spring, the most during Officer's tenure as coach. The Mids also posted a perfect 5-0 mark in Patriot League play during 2008 as well.
Joining MacIntyre on the First-Team All-Patriot League are Army's Phil Muhawi and Eddie Kang, Bucknell's Ira Reibeisen and Navy's Nate Nelms and John Waters. Muhawi earns his third-consecutive All-Patriot League honors after posting an overall singles record of 11-6 and a League record of 5-2 at the No. 1 singles position. Kang has also been selected to the All-Patriot League team for the third time in his career. The senior tallied an overall record of 16-4 and an undefeated record against Patriot league opponents at the No. 2 singles position. Reibeisen finds himself on the first team for the third-consecutive season following a spring singles record of 9-7 at the No. 1 position, and a spring doubles record of 11-7 also at the No. 1 position. Both Reibeisen and Kang finished their careers as the winningest singles players in school history.
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Nelms, the 2007 Player of the Year, earns his second-consecutive first-team bid after another strong season at the no. 1 singles position. The junior compiled an overall record of 23-12 and League record of 5-1. Waters, who was a second-team honoree a season ago, had 17 overall singles wins and five League wins at the No. 2 position. Nelms and Waters teamed up to post an overall doubles record of 19-10 at the No. 1 position.
The 2008 Second-Team All-Patriot League includes Army's Sean Harris, Bucknell's Ryan Sandburg, Lafayette's Eric Wiley, Lehigh's Troy List and John Nespoli and Navy's Jason Hill. Harris was selected to the second team following 13 overall singles wins and six League singles wins at the No. 3 position. Sandburg finished the spring with an 11-10 record at Nos. 1 and 2 singles, and a doubles record of 11-7. Wiley, who was also a second-team selection in 2007, had a Patriot League singles record of 3-5 this season. List finished the spring with a Patriot League record of 2-4, while Nespoli finished at 1-5. Hill posted an overall singles record of 22-13, going 5-2 in League play.
The 2008 Patriot League Champion Navy Midshipmen will continue their season in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament this week. The Mids will face No. 10 Florida at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 10. The match will take place in Gainesville, Fla.
2008 All-Patriot League Teams
First Team
Eddie Kang, Army, Sr.
Phil Muhawi, Army, Jr.
Ira Reibeisen, Bucknell, Sr.
Martin MacIntyre, Colgate, Jr.
Nate Nelms, Navy, Jr.
John Waters, Navy, Jr.
Second Team
Sean Harris, Army, Jr.
Ryan Sandburg, Bucknell, Jr.
Eric Wiley, Lafayette, So.
Troy List, Lehigh, Fr.
John Nespoli, Lehigh, Sr.
Jason Hill, Navy, Jr.
Player of the Year: Martin MacIntyre, Colgate
Rookie of the Year: Owen Bullard, Navy
Coach of the Year: John Officer, Navy
