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MEN'S TENNIS TAKES HOME ALL NEC GOLD
5/22/2003
UMBC maintained its long-running monopoly on all-NEC first team men’s tennis awards, earning a clean sweep of the six singles flights and threedoubles flights for a third straight season. The Retrievers have captured four consecutive NEC men’s tennis titles and have been the league’s dominant programover the last half decade. Mount St. Mary’s Mary Ann Narutowicz was honored by her peers as NEC Coach of the Year. The league’s premier player over the last two seasons, UMBC junior Josef Novotny (Sokolov, Czech Republic) collects #1 singles flight honors. Novotny, whotransferred from Norfolk State following his freshman season, closed out 2002-03 with a 26-8 record, including a 5-0 ledger against NEC competition. Afour-time NEC Player of the Week, he improved his career record to 53-12 (.815). UMBC junior Mikhail Kouznetsov (Moscow, Russia/Fort Lauderdale Prep) is now a two-time first team all-star, garnering accolades at the #2 flight, following hisselection at #3 singles a year ago. Kouznetsov logged a 16-11 record and is undefeated in his career in NEC play at 12-0 (4-0 in 2002-03). His lifetime recordnow stands at 55-23 (.705). UMBC’s James Tyler (Cincinnati, OH/Sycamore) produced immediately at the #3 slot for the Retrievers, and is one of three UMBC freshman to earn first teamall-league plaudits. Tyler’s 9-9 record included a 3-0 mark in NEC outings. UMBC junior Luis Baraldi (Fort Lauderdale, FL/Cardinal Gibbons) was elevated from the #6 to #4 singles flight this past season, and responded with his secondstraight all-star campaign. Baraldi posted a 13-9 overall record and perfect 6-0 tally against league foes. He is 34-14 (.708) over the last two seasons in singlesplay. UMBC freshman Tom Joyce (Bridgeport, WV/Bridgeport) is the NEC’s top player at #5 singles. Joyce closed out his first season with a 12-14 record. He wasundefeated in three NEC matches. UMBC freshman Djan Gusmao (Novo Hamburgo, Brazil/Institute Evangelico) is the first team singles honoree at the #6 flight. Gusmao’s 8-13 record is somewhatdeceiving considering the Retrievers’ demanding non-conference schedule. He won all four of his matches versus NEC competitors. Leading the UMBC sweep in the doubles category is the #1 team of Josef Novotny (Sokolov, Czech Republic) and Luis Baraldi (Fort Lauderdale, FL/CardinalGibbons). The tandem produced a 14-8 record and went 4-0 in NEC play. For Baraldi, it marks his third first team all-conference doubles honor. The league’s top #2 doubles pairing is UMBC’s Mikhail Kouznetsov (Moscow, Russia/Fort Lauderdale Prep) and James Tyler (Cincinnati, OH/Sycamore). TheKouznetsov/Tyler team went 5-8 on the season, including a 2-0 mark in league action. Kouznetsov is now a three-time first team all-NEC doubles award winner. Completing the UMBC sweep is the #3 doubles team of sophomore Albert Hardja (Ossining, NY/Ossining) and freshman Mike Keller (Ocean, NJ/OceanTownship). The underclass duo finished with an 8-5 record and won all five of their NEC matches. Narutowicz engineered an eight-win improvement for Mount St. Mary’s, which finished the season with a 12-9 record. The Mount went on to earn a #3 seed inthe NEC Tournament, the program’s highest-ever seed since the switch to a team-flighted format in 1999. The Mountaineers’ turnaround can be traced to aninflux of talented newcomers, with freshmen starting at four of the six singles flights. Fairleigh Dickinson has taken home a significant award haul in each of the last two seasons, following consecutive runner-up finishes at the NEC Tournament. In2002-03, the Knights collect four second team singles awards. At the #1 flight, FDU junior Alex Sarria (Cali, Colombia/CILA) was a perfect 8-0 in league playand finished 19-8 on the season. A two-time NEC Player of the Week, he lifted his career record to 37-18, including a magnificent 19-0 against NECcompetition. Two of Sarria’s freshman teammates, Dan Wynne (Norwich, England/Notre Dame) and Brendon Van Wasbeek (Johannesburg, SouthAfrica/Northcliff), along with sophomore Angel Rubio (Edo De Mex, Mexico/ITESM-CEM), join him on the second team all-star squad. Wynne, a #2 flightplayer, went 20-10 overall and 10-2 versus conference opponents. At #3 singles, Van Wasbeek compiled the top winning percentage in the league, winning all 13of his matches in his first season of collegiate tennis. Of those 13 victories, seven came in NEC play. Rubio is a two-time all star who adapted to the move from #5to #4 singles without missing a beat. Rubio posted a 21-8 record and won 10-of-11 matches within the conference. His two-year singles record is 29-10. The remaining second team singles spots go to Mount St. Mary’s freshman Paul Stuart (Harrisburg, PA/Central Dauphin East) at the #5 flight and Quinnipiacfreshman Eric Krengel (Bryn Mawr, PA/Radnor) at #6. Stuart went 7-2 in league play and finished the year with a 14-11 overall record for the improvedMountaineers. Krengel also excelled against NEC opponents, compiling a 6-1 record. He was 9-5 overall. Leading off the second team all-NEC doubles award winners is the Robert Morris #1 flight combination of junior Mhamed Mekaoui (Casablanca, Morocco/LyceeLyautey) and senior Mamoun El Kettani (Casablanca, Morocco/Academy Bordeaux). The duo went 8-4 on the season. FDU’s Brendon Van Wasbeek(Johannesburg, South Africa/Northcliff) and Angel Rubio (Edo De Mex, Mexico/ITESM-CEM) take home #2 doubles honors with an 11-3 overall record and 6-0mark when pitted against NEC foes. Collecting #3 doubles accolades is the Sacred Heart tandem of freshman Peter George (Lynnfield, MA/Lynnfield) and juniorRyan Darragh (Bayport, NY/Bayport). The two joined forces to produce an 8-5 overall mark (8-3 at #3 doubles) and 4-1 tally within the league. 2003 NEC Men’s Tennis First Team All-Conference Singles Flight Name School Yr Hometown/High School #1 Josef Novotny UMBC Jr Sokolov, Czech Republic#2 Mikhail Kouznetsov UMBC Jr Moscow, Russia/Fort Lauderdale Prep#3 James Tyler UMBC Fr Cincinnati, OH/Sycamore#4 Luis Baraldi UMBC Jr Fort Lauderdale, FL/Cardinal Gibbons#5 Tom Joyce UMBC Fr Bridgeport, WV/Bridgeport#6 Djan Gusmao UMBC Fr Novo Hamburgo, Brazil/Institute Evangelico Doubles #1 Josef Novotny UMBC Jr Sokolov, Czech Republic Luis Baraldi UMBC Jr Fort Lauderdale, FL/Cardinal Gibbons#2 Mikhaul Kouznetsov UMBC Jr Moscow, Russia/Fort Lauderdale Prep James Tyler UMBC Fr Cincinnati, OH/Sycamore#3 Albert Hardja UMBC So Ossining, NY/Ossining Mike Keller UMBC Fr Ocean, NJ/Ocean Township