WALLINGFORD, Conn.— Binghamton University won five of the top six awards at the America East Championship Tennis Banquet held Thursday (April 28) at Zandri's Stillwood Inn. Junior Dan Hanegby was named Men's Player of the Year and sophomore Zeynep Altinay was selected Women's Player of the Year. Alex Dobrin was chosen Men's Rookie of the Year. In addition, Bearcat coaches Michael Starke and Michael Stevens were named Men's and Women's Coach of the Year, respectively. Gina Sabatino of Boston University was the Women's Rookie of the Year. All voting was conducted by the conference's head coaches.
Hanegby, the Most Outstanding Player at the 2004 America East Men's Tennis Championship, has a 19-4 record at No. 1 singles this season for the Bearcats, who enter the 2005 championship as the No. 1 seed. He is also 3-1 at No. 1 doubles.
Altinay is 16-1 at No. 1 singles and a perfect 7-0 at No. 2 doubles for the Bearcats, who are seeded No. 2 in the America East Women's Tennis Championship.
Dobrin, has played most of the season at No. 3 singles, where he is 17-3 and No. 2 doubles, where he is 3-0. Sabatino is 12-1 at No. 2 and No. 3 singles, including a perfect 8-0 mark for the top-seed Terriers, who have won each of the 12 America East Women's Tennis Championships in which they have participated. She is also 9-7 at No. 1 or No. 2 doubles.
Starke, who has won Coach of the Year honors in each of the last three years, has led the Bearcats to back-to-back America East Men's Tennis Championships. Now in his 18th season at Binghamton, he has led the Bearcats from a onetime Division III power to two-consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division I Championship.
Stevens is in his second season coaching the Binghamton women's team and has guided the Bearcats to the No. 2 seed in the America East Women's Tennis Championship.
Hanegby leads the first-team all-conference men's squad at No. 1 singles. The second-team choice is Jan Krejci of Stony Brook University, who is 18-2 at No. 1 singles.
Richemn Mourad (12-10) of Binghamton and Irfan Shamasdin (8-1) of UMBC are first and second team, respectively, at No. 2 singles. Dobrin is the first-team choice at No. 3 singles with Jeff Hurlbert (7-3) of University of Hartford as the second-team selection. Dave Kortum (6-2) of Stony Brook and Fernando Ferreira (2-2) of UMBC comprise the first and second team choices, respectively, at No. 4 singles. The first-team choice at No. 5 singles is Edwin Gerard (7-3) of Binghamton while Lief Hollowell (2-3) of UMBC is the second-team selection. The singles are rounded out at No. 6 by first-team choice Brian O'Connor (6-1) of Binghamton and second-team selection Dave Jackson (2-1) of UMBC.
Krejci and Tal Meir of Stony Brook are the first-team choice at No. 1 doubles. Hurlbert and Clint Broadie of Hartford are the second-team choices. Dobrin and O'Connor of Binghamton comprise the first-team No. 2 doubles with Mike Crooks and Jean-Francois Robitaille of Stony Brook as the second team.
Altinay is the first-team all-conference choice on the women's squad at No. 1 singles. Laura Ahmes (4-5) of Boston University is the second-team selection.
The No. 2 singles choices are Sabatino at first team and Jelena Koprivica (10-4) of Binghamton on the second team. Lya Kushnirovich (7-4) of Binghamton is the first-team choice at No. 3 singles with Sandy Wijeratne (12-4) of Stony Brook the second-team selection. Jenn Naegeli (5-5) of Binghamton and Katie Draganova (2-2) of Boston University are the first and second team choices, respectively, at No. 4 singles. Aimee Charest of Boston University and Alyssa Freeman (9-4) of Binghamton comprise the first and second team selections, respectively, at No. 5 singles. The No. 6 singles choices are Monica Shepherd (0-1) of Boston University on the first team and Rachel Kimelman (11-1) of Stony Brook on the second team.
Koprivica and Naegeli of Binghamton are the first-team choice at No. 1 doubles. Ahmes and Cheri Lapane of Boston University are the second-team selection. Sabatino and Shepherd of Boston University comprise the first team at No. 2 doubles. Altinay and Freeman are the second-team selection.
Each of the all-conference choices will be in action this weekend at the America East Men's and Women's Tennis Championship at the Connecticut Tennis Center in New Haven, Conn. The championships, which begin Friday, are team-match format with finals scheduled for Sunday. Both champions receive automatic bids to the NCAA Championships.
University at Albany, Binghamton, Boston University, Hartford, UMBC, University of New Hampshire and Stony Brook vie for the women's championship. Binghamton, Boston University, Hartford, UMBC, New Hampshire and Stony Brook compete for the men's championship.