Apr. 25, 2003
Eight Bulldogs are Named on the All-MIAA Tennis Teams
Complete Women's All-Conference
Teams
Complete Men's All-Conference
Teams
With the new team format of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association tennis tournaments this season, the coaches got together, as in other MIAA sports, and chose all-conference players for the first time.
For the Bulldog women, senior Amanda Black (Oakville, Mo.) at No. 6 singles and senior Allison Schuller (West Peoria, Ill./Manual) and freshman Kristine Grajo (Ballwin, Mo./Marquette) at No. 3 doubles earned first-team status, while sophomore Abigail Souders (Rosemount, Minn.) at No. 4 singles and senior Meghan Konrad (Elmhurst, Ill./York) at No. 5 singles were named to the second team. Black also receive the Sportsmanship Award from the MIAA coaches.
Three individuals were honored off of the men's team. First-team all-MIAA status was garnered by senior Ben Smith (Ft. Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain) and freshman Sean Cooper (Springfield, Mo./Parkview) at No. 2 doubles. Smith was also an honorable mention choice at No. 2 singles and was co-recipient of the men's Sportmanship Award. Cooper was also an honorable mention pick at No. 4 singles, while freshman Brad Martin (Leawood, Kan./Rockhurst) was an honorable mention pick at No. 3 singles.
Both teams finished tied for third in the MIAA postseason tournament. The women completed the 2003 season with a 11-6 dual record and were 3-3 in the MIAA. The Bulldog men had an 8-9 overall dual record and were 2-3 in MIAA play.
Black completed her career with a 58-15 singles record and a 9-4 mark in doubles action. She earned all-MIAA honors last year after placing second at No. 6 singles. Black was 20-5 in singles action in 2002-03 and went 4-1 with two doubles partners.
Schuller has been a four-year standout for the Bulldogs, racking up a 70-49 singles record and a 64-33 doubles mark since 1999. This past season, she was 12-4 in singles play and 14-2 with two doubles partners. Schuller is a four-year all-MIAA performer after placing third at No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles as a freshman; fourth at No. 2 singles and No. 2 doubles her sophomore year; and taking second at No. 3 doubles in 2002.
Grajo completed her first season as a member of the starting lineup with a 6-2 singles mark and was 13-2 in doubles play with Schuller.
This year, Souders was 21-8 in singles play and was 19-6 with three doubles partners, including going 13-6 with Konrad. For her career, Souders has a singles record of 25-9 and is 35-11 in doubles. She earned her first all-MIAA honors last year after placing second at No. 3 doubles in the conference tournament, and was an MIAA presidential scholar after maintaining a 4.0 GPA which she also maintained through last fall.
Konrad finished her career as a four-year all-MIAA performer as well and with a career record of 92-31 in singles and 76-24 in doubles play. She was 14-5 at No. 5 singles this past season and went 13-6 at No. 3 doubles with Souders. As a freshman, Konrad earned all-MIAA status with third place finishes at No. 4 singles and No. 3 doubles. The following year, she was third at No. 4 singles and the MIAA co-champion at No. 3 doubles. In 2002, Konrad was fourth at No. 4 singles and third at No. 2 doubles at the MIAA tournament.
Smith completed his career with a 49-74 singles record and was 37-33 in doubles play. He earned all-MIAA status in 2001 after placing second at the conference tournament at No. 6 singles, and was fourth at No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles in 2002. Smith posted a 15-15 singles mark this past season and was 13-9 in doubles play with Cooper.
Cooper and Martin were 15-14 and 17-10, respectively, in their first seasons for the Bulldogs.