May 3, 2007

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Six Santa Clara University men's tennis players picked up All-West Coast Conference honors it was announced by the conference office on Thursday. Seniors Jan Macek and Bobby Rasmussen were joined on the All-WCC singles second team by freshman Jay Wong. Sophomore Brian Brogan and junior Blane Shields both earned All-WCC honorable mention status in singles as well. In doubles, the Broncos had all three doubles teams receive recognition. Macek and Rasmussen were selected as second team honorees, while the pairs of Brogan and Wong and junior Robert Gallman and Shields both were named honorable mention selections. SCU had never had more than three singles players or two doubles pairs earn All-WCC honors in one season. The Broncos had the most honorees of any school.

"Everyone on the team contributed to our success this season," said men's tennis head coach George Husack. "Having this many players recognized is a good reflection of the depth of the team. To have all three doubles teams recognized is great. It is a testament to how hard we worked in practice on our doubles. I am proud of all six players."

Macek, a Zolling, Germany native, earned All-WCC honors for the second straight season. In 2006, he picked up All-WCC Honorable Mention recognition, before getting a spot on the second team this year. Playing every match but one at No. 1 singles, Macek put together a 12-15 record in duals, including a 4-4 mark in WCC play. He took on six ranked players during the season, while clinching four matches for the Broncos.

Rasmussen, who played mostly at No. 4 this year, joined his fellow senior Macek on the second team, earning All-WCC honors in singles for the first time after being named All-WCC in doubles in 2006. The Regis Jesuit High School (Colo.) graduate finished the spring season 15-6 for SCU (12-6 in duals). He won nine matches in a row in the middle of the season before suffering a broken hand that forced him to miss seven matches near the end of the season. He clinched five wins for SCU and had an 18-11 overall record.

Freshman Jay Wong had a standout first season on the Mission Campus, tying Francisco Zepponi's school record for wins with 30. Wong, a San Jose native, posted a 30-11 record on the season, including an 18-8 mark in duals playing No. 2 and No. 3. He had separate winning streaks of nine and six matches during the dual season. He won his first collegiate tournament in the fall, capturing the Flight "B" of the Bronco Classic.

Brogan is a repeat selection on the honorable mention team for the Broncos, while Shields is a first time honoree. Brogan (Saratoga, Calif.) played most the season at No. 2 singles and came through with 14 dual match wins for the Broncos. He played his first career match at No. 1 singles this year and won 19 total matches this season. Shields had one of the best seasons in school history in singles, posting a 22-5 record for a school-record .815 winning percentage. A native of Novato, Shields was 15-2 in dual matches, including three wins at the WCC Championships. He also clinched a team high six matches for SCU in 2007.

The Broncos three doubles pairs were all recognized for their outstanding play by the WCC. Macek and Rasmussen were honorable mention selections a year ago in doubles, but this season, they moved to the second team. They went 17-6 in 2007 and finished their careers with 35 wins together, good for second in program history. At one point, the pair won seven straight doubles matches for the Broncos. On Senior Day, the duo earned a doubles-point clinching 8-6 win against Sacramento State in an eventual 4-3 Broncos victory. The pair's 17 wins were just three short of the school record despite Rasmussen missing seven matches with a broken hand.

Brogan and Wong and Gallman and Shields round out the Broncos honorees in doubles. Gallman and Shields played mainly in the No. 2 doubles slot and posted a 10-3 record on the season along with a 4-1 mark against WCC opponents. Brogan and Wong spent the season at No. 3 doubles and went 8-3 in duals and 3-0 against the WCC. Brogan and Wong won both of their matches together at the WCC Championships.

Individual Awards
Player of the Year: Andre Begemann, Pepperdine
Freshman of the Year: Bassam Beidas, Pepperdine
Coach of the Year: Michael Wayman, Saint Mary's

2007 Men's Singles All-Conference Team
First Team
Bassam Beidas, Pepperdine
Andre Begemann, Pepperdine
Matthew Berry, San Francisco
James Lemke, Pepperdine
Thomas Liversage, San Diego
Andre Sion, Saint Mary's

Second Team
Chris Coetzee, San Diego
Joel Kusnierz, Saint Mary's
Jan Macek, Santa Clara
Matt Ozurovich, San Diego
Bobby Rasmussen, Santa Clara
Thong Tu, San Francisco
Jay Wong, Santa Clara

Honorable Mention
Marco Pineda, GON; Richard Johnson, PEP; Charl Wolmarans, USD; Asaf Cohen, USF; Brian Brogan, SCU; Blane Shields, SCU

2007 Men's Doubles All-Conference Team
First Team
Richard Johnson & Omar Altmann, Pepperdine
Andre Begemann & Mahmoud Kamel, Pepperdine
Filip Zivkovic & Colby Jager, Portland

Second Team
Bassam Beidas & James Lemke, Pepperdine
Chris Coetzee & Thomas Liversage, San Diego
Jan Macek & Bobby Rasmussen, Santa Clara

Honorable Mention
Bryce Cooper & Roman Dojcak, GON; Brian Brogan & Jay Wong, SCU; Robert Gallman & Blane Shields, SCU