GSC Announces 2011 All-Conference Men's Tennis Team
Birmingham, Ala. — The Gulf South Conference announced its 2011 Men’s Tennis All-Conference Team today.
Seven schools were represented led by Harding and Valdosta State, which each hadfour honorees. Ouachita Baptist added three players, West Florida had two players, and Delta State, Alabama-Huntsville and North Alabama completed the team with one member apiece.
VSU SWEEPS EAST DIVISION AWARDS
VSU provided the GSC East Division Player of the Year for the third straight season when senior Philip Pakebusch was selected as the top player for the second straight year. Pakebusch is the Blazers’ 12th overall honoree and helped lead the East Division Champions to three straight Conference Titles and a No. 1 national ranking.
Luis Loeffler became the fourth VSU player to be tabbed GSC East Division Freshman of the Year. Loeffler is the first Blazer to win the award since 2007.
OBU, HU TAKE WEST DIVISION HONORS
Ouachita Baptist continued to keep a lock on the top player award but Harding ended OBU’s five-year grasp on both awards by claiming the top freshman prize. Sophomore Tobius Kuhlman is the eighth consecutive Tiger to earn GSC West Division Player of the Year honors, a year after collecting top freshman honors.
Alex Ford was selected the GSC West Division Freshman of the Year, marking just the third time a Harding player earned the award and the first since 2002.
VSU’S HANSEN IS COACH OF THE YEAR
For the second consecutive season and 11th time overall, Valdosta State’s John Hansen collected the GSC Coach of the Year award. Hansen guided the Blazers to a fifth consecutive GSC title this past weekend and has them ranked No. 1 in the country.
2011 ALL-GSC TEAM
The 2011 All-GSC Team is headlined by one 4-time returning member and three 3-time honorees.
Ouachita Baptist senior Till Heilshorn is the 16th four-time All-GSC selection in league history. Valdosta State’s Daniel Dueren, West Florida’s Andrey Pozhidaev and Harding’s Henrique Ruiz are three-time All-GSC members.
Also returning from last year’s squad are VSU’s Philip Pakebusch and UWF’s Leandro Ferreira.
2011 ALL-GSC MEN’S TENNIS TEAM
EAST DIVISION
|
Player
|
School
|
Year
|
Hometown
|
|
#Philip Pakebusch
|
VSU
|
SR
|
Hamburg, Germany
|
|
!#Daniel Dueren
|
VSU
|
SR
|
Bedburg, Germany
|
|
Merlin Witt
|
UNA
|
FR
|
Harpstedt, Germany
|
|
Christian Hansen
|
VSU
|
JR
|
Cologne, Germany
|
|
#Leandro Ferreira
|
UWF
|
SO
|
Sao Paulo, Brazil
|
|
Daniel Cancellas
|
UAH
|
SO
|
Joinville, Brazil
|
|
!#Andrey Pozhidaev
|
UWF
|
SO
|
Sochi, Russia
|
|
Luis Loeffler
|
VSU
|
FR
|
Frieburg, Germany
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
#—2010 All-GSC Team
|
|
!—2009 All-GSC Team
|
GSC East Division Player of the Year—Philip Pakebusch, Valdosta State
GSC East Division Freshman of the Year—Luis Loeffler, Valdosta State
GSC Coach of the Year—John Hansen, Valdosta State
WEST DIVISION
|
Player
|
School
|
Year
|
Hometown
|
|
Ivan Michelli
|
HU
|
SR
|
Sorocabo, Brazil
|
|
Helio Hashimoto
|
HU
|
SO
|
Sao Paulo, Brazil
|
|
$!Henrique Ruiz
|
HU
|
JR
|
Sao Paulo, Brazil
|
|
Alex Ford
|
HU
|
FR
|
Fayetteville, Ga.
|
|
Tobias Kuhlmann
|
OBU
|
SO
|
Hassel, Germany
|
|
$!#Till Heilshorn
|
OBU
|
SR
|
Osterholz-Scharmbeck, Germany
|
|
Ramon Abaitua
|
OBU
|
FR
|
Portugalate, Spain
|
|
Josselin Polosse
|
DSU
|
SR
|
Lyon, France
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
#—2008 All-GSC Team
|
|
!—2009 All-GSC Team
|
|
$—2010 All-GSC Team
|
|
|
GSC West Division Player of the Year — Tobias Kuhlman, Ouachita Baptist
GSC West Division Freshman of the Year — Alex Ford, Harding