Four Grizzlies named to all-conference tennis teams
4/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
The University of Montana men??s and women??s tennis teams both had two All-Big Sky Conference selections the league office announced Tuesday. Senior Jan Steenekamp and junior Stuart Wing were recognized on the men??s side, while freshman Liz Walker and sophomore Mari Castello were honored on the women??s side.
The Montana men, which enter this week??s conference tournament as the three-seed at 9-10 overall and 4-2 in league action, had a pair of players recognized for the second straight year.
Steenekamp, from Burgersdorp, South Africa, earns his third consecutive first team All-Big Sky Conference honor. Steenekamp, who transferred to Montana prior to his sophomore season, also earned All-Southland Conference recognition as a freshman while at Lousiana-Monroe.
Steenekamp finished the 2006 dual match season 13-6 in singles play and 5-1 in Big Sky matches while playing the No. 1 singles position. He is 19-7 in singles competition for the entire 2005-06 season.
Steenekamp has teamed up with four different Grizzlies to accumulate a 9-10 overall and 4-2 Big Sky doubles record this spring. On the year he has totaled a 13-11 doubles mark.
Wing, from Kempton Park, South Africa, has been named second team All-Big Sky in back-to-back seasons. The 5-foot-10 lefty went 8-11 overall and 4-2 in conference singles matches this spring at the No. 2 slot. Wing is 10-13 in singles competition throughout the 2005-06 season.
Wing worked with four different Grizzlies to total a 12-7 doubles mark in 2006 dual match play. Playing with freshman Felipe Raw at the No. 2, Wing racked up a 4-2 Big Sky doubles mark. He has tallied a 16-8 doubles mark through both fall tournament and spring dual match competition.
The Montana women had a pair of underclassmen recognized as all-conference. The Grizzlies head to this week??s league championship as the four-seed at 9-11 overall and 3-3 in Big Sky play.
Walker, from Wandin, Australia, earns her first all-conference accolade after going 8-12 in singles play and 2-4 in Big Sky matches while playing atop the lineup this spring. She has accumulated a 12-15 season-singles mark in her first year at UM.
Walker went 14-5 in doubles play this spring at the No. 1 position, all but one of those matches played with fellow all-conference honoree Castello. Walker and Castello, who went a perfect 6-0 in Big Sky doubles play, closed the regular season with eight straight wins at the top of the lineup. Walker is 18-8 in doubles play throughout the 2005-06 season.
Castello is honored as second team All-Big Sky for the second consecutive season. The Belleville, Ill., native, went 10-9 overall and 3-3 in conference singles matches this spring, while playing predominantly at the No. 2 position. Castello is 11-11 overall through fall tournament and spring dual match play this year.
Castello racked up a 14-4 doubles mark this spring while playing atop the lineup with Walker. Castello is 16-6 on the year in doubles play.
Margarita Karnaukhova of Sacramento State is the women??s MVP for the fourth consecutive year. She is the first Big Sky Conference athlete (Male or Female) to win four MVP awards. Federico Ueltschi of Montana State is the Men??s MVP for the third consecutive season. He is the second Men??s Tennis Player in league history to win three straight MVPs, jointing Idaho State??s Mike Castrilli from 1992-94.
The Montana men, which enter this week??s conference tournament as the three-seed at 9-10 overall and 4-2 in league action, had a pair of players recognized for the second straight year.
Steenekamp, from Burgersdorp, South Africa, earns his third consecutive first team All-Big Sky Conference honor. Steenekamp, who transferred to Montana prior to his sophomore season, also earned All-Southland Conference recognition as a freshman while at Lousiana-Monroe.
Steenekamp finished the 2006 dual match season 13-6 in singles play and 5-1 in Big Sky matches while playing the No. 1 singles position. He is 19-7 in singles competition for the entire 2005-06 season.
Steenekamp has teamed up with four different Grizzlies to accumulate a 9-10 overall and 4-2 Big Sky doubles record this spring. On the year he has totaled a 13-11 doubles mark.
Wing, from Kempton Park, South Africa, has been named second team All-Big Sky in back-to-back seasons. The 5-foot-10 lefty went 8-11 overall and 4-2 in conference singles matches this spring at the No. 2 slot. Wing is 10-13 in singles competition throughout the 2005-06 season.
Wing worked with four different Grizzlies to total a 12-7 doubles mark in 2006 dual match play. Playing with freshman Felipe Raw at the No. 2, Wing racked up a 4-2 Big Sky doubles mark. He has tallied a 16-8 doubles mark through both fall tournament and spring dual match competition.
The Montana women had a pair of underclassmen recognized as all-conference. The Grizzlies head to this week??s league championship as the four-seed at 9-11 overall and 3-3 in Big Sky play.
Walker, from Wandin, Australia, earns her first all-conference accolade after going 8-12 in singles play and 2-4 in Big Sky matches while playing atop the lineup this spring. She has accumulated a 12-15 season-singles mark in her first year at UM.
Walker went 14-5 in doubles play this spring at the No. 1 position, all but one of those matches played with fellow all-conference honoree Castello. Walker and Castello, who went a perfect 6-0 in Big Sky doubles play, closed the regular season with eight straight wins at the top of the lineup. Walker is 18-8 in doubles play throughout the 2005-06 season.
Castello is honored as second team All-Big Sky for the second consecutive season. The Belleville, Ill., native, went 10-9 overall and 3-3 in conference singles matches this spring, while playing predominantly at the No. 2 position. Castello is 11-11 overall through fall tournament and spring dual match play this year.
Castello racked up a 14-4 doubles mark this spring while playing atop the lineup with Walker. Castello is 16-6 on the year in doubles play.
Margarita Karnaukhova of Sacramento State is the women??s MVP for the fourth consecutive year. She is the first Big Sky Conference athlete (Male or Female) to win four MVP awards. Federico Ueltschi of Montana State is the Men??s MVP for the third consecutive season. He is the second Men??s Tennis Player in league history to win three straight MVPs, jointing Idaho State??s Mike Castrilli from 1992-94.
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