Great Lakes Valley Conference men’s and women’s tennis teams earned nine Midwest Region Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) postseason awards, it was announced by the association. GLVC men’s tennis nabbed four top awards, while women’s tennis collected five honors.
Drury senior Roman Gonda was named the ITA Men’s Senior Player of the Year from the Midwest Region. Gonda had a successful year as a Panther, finishing with a 20-1 record in singles play and 18-4 in doubles action. The Trencin, Slovakia, native helped Drury to an 18-4 record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament all four campaigns with a Sweet 16 finish his sophomore and senior tenure. Gonda finished the season ranked third in the region, and was a four-time first team All-GLVC selection.
Rockhurst senior Rodolfo Gauto-Mariotti was named the Midwest Men’s ITA/Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship winner. Gauto-Mariotti has been a leader by example through his patience, commitment and passion for the Hawks’ men’s tennis program. He has been active in the community by working with several not-for-profit foundations in his native country of Paraguay. In the classroom, Gauto-Mariotti has a 3.99 grade point average, and will graduate in December with a degree in economics. The Asuncion, Paraguay, native was a Capital One Academic All-American in 2012, a three-time Academic All-GLVC, ITA Scholar-Athlete honoree, and is an Academic All-American finalist this spring.
Lewis sophomore Armand Levandi was selected as the Midwest ITA Region Men's Tennis Player To Watch. Levandi followed up a great freshman season (20-4) with an equally as strong sophomore year. He posted a 15-1 singles record playing primarily first and second singles while also tallying an impressive 11-5 mark in doubles action. For his efforts this season, the Tallinn, Estonia, native earned a No. 2 regional ranking, named to the GLVC All-Conference team, and ended the season on a 10-match winning streak.
Southern Indiana’s Ryan McDaniel was tabbed Midwest ITA Men’s Tennis Assistant Coach of the Year. McDaniel, a third year assistant has helped guide the Screaming Eagles to their first-ever NCAA Round of 16 appearance. With a 17-5 record, this year’s team is ranked No. 1 in the Midwest and No. 1 in the nation according to the ITA Division II Men’s Tennis Rankings (May 1). The Greenwood, Ind., native played for the Screaming Eagles between 2004-05 to 2006-07, helping the team earn the GLVC crown and an appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament in 2005.
Saint Joseph’s Katee Sanderson was named the Midwest ITA Women’s Senior Player of the Year. Sanderson has been nothing short of dominant during her collegiate career. While playing for the Pumas, she was 15-4 in singles and 10-7 in doubles play this season. The Whitefield, Ind., native registered her 70th career singles win, setting a Pumas record for most victories, and finished her college career 72-13 in singles and 70-19 in doubles play.
Drury sophomore Stefanie Monsch, the Midwest Women’s Player To Watch, proved she can play with the best in Division II tennis by recording a 16-4 singles record and an 18-5 mark in doubles. Monsch, ranked sixth in the Midwest Regional rankings, helped Drury to a 19-4 performance and claimed the GLVC title this season. The Dornstetten, Germany, native and 2012 GLVC Freshman of the Year owns a career 33-8 in singles and 39-8 mark in doubles play.
Drury’s Natalia Kozel, the Midwest ITA Women’s Rookie of the Year, had an outstanding first year of collegiate competition, accumulating 34 wins in singles and doubles. The reigning GLVC Freshman of the Year earned All-Conference honors, and won the singles champion of the USTA/ITA Midwest Regional Championship earlier this season. Kozel was one of eight players to advance to the Small College National Championships, where she fell 6-2, 6-2 to No. 2 seed Julia Mongin of Abilene Christian.
Drury’s Jarrod Smith, the 2013 Midwest Wilson/ITA Women’s Coach of the Year, has the Panthers ranked No. 1 in the Midwest and No. 30 in the nation with a notable record of 15-5, and an unblemished 6-0 league mark. In addition to claiming his sixth consecutive GLVC title, Smith has led the Panthers to eight of 12 straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including an Elite 8 presence (2006), and a Round of 16 (2007) showing.
Lewis’ Milijana Jocic has earned her first top national honor as the Midwest ITA Assistant Coach of the Year award. Jocic is known for her hands-on approach to coaching and mentor to Lewis’ top two players in GLVC Player of the Year Zsofia Lanstiak and All-GLVC honoree Zsofia Kranczicki. The Hungarian duo is ranked No. 4 in the country and had a record of 26-2 showing in doubles play, including a 16-match winning streak to end the season.
As the governing body of collegiate tennis, the ITA promotes both the athletic and academic achievements of the collegiate tennis community. The ITA, which is comprised of nearly 1,700 men's and women's varsity coaches representing over 1,200 institutions, administers numerous regional and national championships and the ITA College Tennis Rankings for over 20,000 college varsity student-athletes 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. The official ITA web site is www.itatennis.com.
For a complete listing of winners, click here.