Posted by Tim Drain - Mon, May 12, 2008 - [ Men's Tennis ]

SKILLMAN, N.J. - The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) has announced

its 2008 national award winners for Junior and Community College men's and

women's tennis. Highlighting this year's awards are the Wilson/ITA National

Coaches of the Year: Ron Albers of Vincennes University (men) and Mike

Napoli of Cuesta College (women)

For Immediate Release

Contact: Casey Snedecor, ITA (609-497-6921)

May 11, 2008

*ITA announces national award winners for Junior and Community College

tennis*

 

Also honored in women's tennis were:

ITA National Player of the Year – Ashley Irvin, Tyler Junior College

ITA National Rookie Player – Monica Lalewicz, Abraham Baldwin College

ITA National Player to Watch – Eva Sambrano, Hillsborough Community College

ITA/Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship – Natalie Kelley,

Santa Monica College
 

The men's award winners are:

ITA National Player of the Year – Paul Fitzgerald, Abraham Baldwin College

ITA National Rookie Player – Dominic McLuskey, Tyler Junior College

ITA National Player to Watch – Christopher King, Vincennes University

ITA/Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship- William Blake

Sherman, Meridian Community College

 
Napoli has been a head coach for 20 years, accumulating a 241-91-1 overall

record. This year, he led the Cuesta College women's tennis team in an

undefeated season, after the team went 3-11 in 2007. He has guided Cuesta

College to nine Western State Conference Championships.

Albers, who also won the Wilson/ITA Coach of the Year award in 1999, led the

Vincennes University men's tennis team to a 27-4 season and a top-5 finish

in the national rankings.

 
Earlier this month, Grossmont College captured the women's California

Community College Athletic Association team championship by beating Chabot

College 5-3, while Ventura College captured the men's title, beating Fresno

City College 5-2.

 
At the NJCAA women's tennis championships this week, Hillsborough Community

College (Fla.) captured the Division I title, while the College of DuPage

(Ill.) won the Division III title. (There is not a Division II

championship).

 
The men's NJCAA Championships will be held May 11-16 at Collin County

Community College in Plano, Texas.

 
As the governing body of collegiate tennis the Intercollegiate Tennis

Association ( ITA) promotes both the athletic and academic achievements of

the collegiate tennis community. The ITA, which was founded in 1956 and is

based in Skillman, N.J., administers numerous regional and national

championships, the ITA Collegiate Summer Circuit presented by the USTA, and

the Fila Collegiate Tennis Rankings for Men's and Women's tennis at the NCAA

Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and Junior College levels. The ITA also has a

comprehensive awards program for players and coaches to honor excellence in

academics, leadership and sportsmanship.