NWU Men Dominate All-GPAC Tennis Team

May 14, 2009

The Nebraska Wesleyan men’s tennis team had every one of its players receive All-Conference honors when the Great Plains Athletic Conference men’s tennis teams were announced. In addition, head coach Dr. Rick Harley was named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Men’s Tennis Coach-of-the-Year.

On the singles All-GPAC team, five NWU players were All-Conference and one received honorable mention.

At No. 1 singles, sophomore Jamie Holmes (Grand Island, Neb.) was All-GPAC for the second straight season. He was 13-8 overall and 6-1 in GPAC play this season.

Freshman Nathan Hoppe (Lincoln, Neb.) was All-GPAC at No. 2 singles in his first season. He was 14-6 overall and 5-2 in GPAC play.

Jamie Holmes’ older brother Eric Holmes (Grand Island, Neb.) was All-GPAC at No. 3 singles for the second straight season. Holmes went 13-8 overall and was 6-1 in the conference. Holmes now has 62 career victories to rank second all-time at NWU in singles victories.

Freshman Daisuke Naito (Kawanishi City, Japan) earned All-GPAC at No. 4 singles. Naito was 14-8 overall and a perfect 7-0 in GPAC play. He was an exchange student at NWU.

At No. 6 singles, senior Scott Ronshaugen (Hastings, Neb.) rounds out the NWU players that earned All-GPAC. Ronshaugen was 10-8 overall and 5-1 in GPAC play to earn All-GPAC for the second straight season.

Sophomore Michael Larsen (Lincoln, Neb.) was honorable mention All-GPAC.

In doubles action, two of the three groups were All-GPAC and the other tandem was honorable mention. At No. 1 doubles, Jamie Holmes and Hoppe teamed up to earn All-Conference. They went 7-6 overall and were 5-2 in GPAC action. At No. 2 doubles, Eric Holmes and Naito received All-GPAC recognition with a perfect 7-0 GPAC record and a 11-2 overall mark.

Earning honorable mention All-GPAC doubles was the tandem of Larsen and Ronshaugen. Larsen and Ronshaugen were 9-11 at No. 3 doubles and 4-2 in conference action.

Nebraska Wesleyan finished the 2009 season with a 13-9 overall record and a 6-1 record in the GPAC. NWU lost in the first round of the NAIA National Tournament.