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Blackman, Vazquez Earn PL Coach and Rookie of the Year Awards, Respectively
Four Eagles named to all-league team; AU to play in first round of NCAA Tournament

May 9, 2003 | Live NCAA Stats | NCAA Match Notes

Patriot League Coach of the Year Martin Blackman

Patriot League Rookie of the Year Juancarlo Vazquez

WASHINGTON -- Heading into the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, the American University men's tennis team received some more good news when it found out head coach Martin Blackman was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year for the second straight year and Juancarlo Vazquez (San Juan, Puerto Rico/Centre Educativo Superior Vocational) was named the Rookie of the Year. Three other AU student-athletes were named to the 12-person all-league teams.

Also honored were juniors Tushar Garg (Mumbia, India/Bradenton Academy) and Guilluame Tarralle (Paris, France/French International School [Md.]), who earned spots on the first team. Vazquez was joined by three-year captain and senior Kyle Bailey (Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson) on the second team. Army senior Arnie Albornoz was named the player of the year.

Tushar Garg

Guilluame Tarralle

The Eagles (15-3), who captured their second straight league title this spring with a 4-0 sweep over the Black Knights in the finals, will face No. 16 seed Washington at San Diego St. Saturday at 12 p.m.

Blackman, a former ATP player who took the program over four years ago, becomes the first-ever American University coach to repeat as coach of the year in the Patriot League since the program joined two years ago. He is assisted by Bear Schofield.

Vazquez became the Patriot League's and American University's first-ever nationally ranked player when he jumped to No. 116 on the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings in March of 2003 after beating No. 26 Miami's Luis Manrique. Vazquez moved up from playing No. 6 singles to No. 4 singles on an upperclassmen-laiden team. He heads into the NCAAs with a 20-3 singles record that included a 13-match winning streak.

Garg and Guilluame has held the Nos. 1 and 2 spots all year for American. Garg took over at No. 1 in March and is is tied for third all-time in career doubles victories (36) and is seventh all-time in career singles victories (40). Tarralle earned three wins over Patriot League opponents and has shared the No. 1 doubles spot with Garg for most of the year.

Kyle Bailey

Bailey has proven solid at No. 3 singles for the Eagles and is currently on a seven-match winning streak that started in March. He also held the No. 2 doubles position.

American will compete in its second straight NCAA Tournament Saturday against the Huskies Saturday. Also in the bracket are San Diego St. and San Diego. The finals will be held at the University of Georgia. Live stats provided by SDSU can be viewed by clicking on the Live NCAA Stats link.