The Empire 8 announced its 2012 Men’s Tennis All-Conference Team with junior Chris Rosensteel of conference champion Stevens Institute of Technology being named the Empire 8 Men’s Tennis Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
Rosensteel, who has made the all-conference first team in each of his three years, finished undefeated in Empire 8 regular season play at first singles and first doubles with junior Shota Tasaki. Rosensteel and Tasaki were named to the all-conference first team squad in doubles for the second consecutive year.
Tasaki was also named to the all-conference first team in singles after posting a 7-0 mark in regular season conference play splitting between second and third singles. Sophomore Andy Riggs was named to the first team in singles, going 7-0 in Empire 8 play and 18-1 overall during the season. He also won all of his singles and doubles matches in the conference tournament to earn Most Valuable Player honors in leading Stevens to the Empire 8 Men’s Tennis Championship title.
Riggs and Nicolas Rosasco earned all-conference first-team honors in doubles, while Rosasco was selected as Empire 8 Rookie of the Year. He won all four of his Empire 8 regular season matches at fourth singles, while he and Riggs were undefeated at second doubles.
Senior Jimmy Newton of Ithaca College repeated as a first-team selection and was joined on the first team by sophomore Griffin Reid. Newton went 5-2 at first singles in conference regular season play, while Reid finished 6-1 at second singles.
Juniuor Ryan McCormick of Nazareth College was named to the all-conference first team for the third time in as many years after finishing 6-1 at first singles in conference play. The Golden Flyers’ second doubles team of Jeremy Mancus and Erik Manske was named to the all-conference first team after going 6-1 at second doubles.
Steve Gachko was named Empire 8 Coach of the Year for the third consecutive time for leading Stevens to its third title in a row. The honor was his fourth since joining the conference.
One member of each team was named that institution’s representative on the 2012 Men’s Tennis Sportsman of the Year Team. Empire 8 emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete’s experience in conjunction with an institution’s educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportsmen.
2012 Empire 8 Men’s Tennis Awards
Player of the Year: Chris Rosensteel, Stevens Institute of Technology
Rookie of the Year: Nicolas Rosasco, Stevens Institute of Technology
Coach of the Year: Steve Gachko, Stevens Institute of Technology
2012 Men's Tennis All-Conference Team