 "Photo:")
The Texas Tech men's tennis team finished the 2007-08 season with all the awards and accomplishments one could ask for, except advancing to the Sweet 16 in this year's NCAA Championships.
"The Regional Coach of the Year and the Big 12 (Conference) Coach of the Year (awards)," Tech coach Tim Siegel said, "those don't even come close to making the Sweet 16 as a team."
The Red Raiders' season ended with a 4-2 loss in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to No. 16 Michigan after getting past Harvard in the first round by the same score. Senior Bojan Szumanski competed in the NCAA Singles Championships but lost in the first round to Mississippi's No. 22 Erling Tveit, 6-4, 6-3. The duo of Christian Rojmar and Szumanski tried their hand in the NCAA Doubles Championships, only to fall to Wake Forest's duo of No. 7 Steven Forman and Cory Parr, 7-5, 7-6 in the first round.
Although the Red Raiders' postseason hopes were not accomplished, Tech still finished the season with many acolytes.
Siegel was named 2008 Wilson/Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regional Coach of the Year. He also took home the Big 12 Coach of the Year Award. This is the second time Siegel has received both awards in the same season, with 2005 being the first.
"It sounds like a cliche, but it's really the team - that their success allowed me to have this award," Siegel said. "I couldn't have done it without these guys who played hard all year. I'm really proud of what they accomplished on the court and in the classroom."
The Red Raiders finished their season No. 20 in the nation, the highest ranking for the team in school history. Tech also finished with 20 wins, also the highest in program history.
Szumanski finished his final season as a Red Raider as Tech's all-timewinningest singles and doubles player. He finished with 90 singles wins and 61 doubles wins.
The Red Raiders made their mark off the court as well.
Szumanski was named the CoSida ESPNThe Magazine Academic All-District VI team for the third time as a Red Raider.
The team had five players consisting of Jay Wofford, Michael Breler, Sinisa Markovic, Christian Rojmar and Szumanski named to Academic All-Big 12 teams. Markovic and Rojmar made the second team, while Wofford, Szumanski and Breler made the first team.
Szumanski said this was not only a special season for him, but the team as a whole.
"We did really good in the first part of the season and then we created some chances for ourselves," he said. "We had a shot at the Big 12 Championship. We had a good shot to make the Sweet 16. We came up a little short in both of these, but I think it was a really successful season for the whole team. Definitely some unforgettable moments."
Szumanski said, although tennis is not considered a team sport, he will miss the team concept college tennis provided for him.
"Tennis is an individual sport but college tennis is special just because you're in a team environment," he said. "Guys cheering and pulling for you. It always makes you wanna go out there and practice. Everybody pushes you to work even harder. That's definitely the thing I'm gonna miss. Just a great, great atmosphere."
Be the first to comment on this article!