Tulane's Kogan Headlines C-USA Men's Tennis Postseason Awards

Michael Kogan

Tulane junior Michael Kogan earns his third straight C-USA Player of the Year award, while Green Wave head coach Robert Klein picks up his third Coach of the Year honor. Jhonny Berrido of Louisville wins the league's Freshman of the Year accolade.

CHICAGO – Tulane’s MICHAEL KOGAN has been named Conference USA Player of the Year for the third straight year, while Tulane head coach ROBERT KLEIN earned the league’s Coach of the Year honors for the third time after guiding the Green Wave to their third C-USA championship on April 19 in Milwaukee. JHONNY BERRIDO of Louisville has been named C-USA Freshman of the Year. The awards were selected in a vote of the league’s 12 head coaches.

In his third season, Kogan led Tulane to a third C-USA Championship title with three wins at No. 1 singles. He compiled a 25-5 overall singles mark this year and is currently ranked No. 11 in the ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings. He is the only player to knock off the nation’s top player this season and is currently on an 11-match winning streak. A native of Kfar-Saba, Israel, Kogan posted a 24-3 doubles record with VICTOR ROMERO and the duo sits at No. 5 in the nation.

In his 10th season as head coach at Tulane, Klein directed the Wave to their third conference crown, defeating Louisville in the semifinals and No. 24 TCU in the title match. Tulane has enjoyed five appearances in the
C-USA championship finals, earning a total of three titles (2003, 2001 and 1997). Klein has compiled a career record of 155-86 as the team matched the school record for wins in a season this year with 19. The Green Wave recently received its highest-ever ITA ranking at No. 15 and will make its seventh straight appearance in the NCAA Championship. Tulane will serve as host for an NCAA Regional for the first time in school history.

Berrido compiled a 33-7 singles record this season at primarily the No. 5 spot, setting a new U of L mark for freshman wins.

Kogan and teammate Romero are joined on the first team All-Conference USA by: PACO ANTELO and ULI KIENDL of South Florida, CODY CONLEY of Louisville and TCU’s ALEX MENICHINI.

Named second team All-Conference USA are: PAULO CARVALHO of Louisville, DMITRIY KOCH of Tulane, FABRIZIO SESTINI and TONI GORDON of TCU and Memphis’ BEN STAPP and LEE TAYLOR WALKER.

Players receiving third team All-Conference USA honors include: ARTURO AGUIRRE of Charlotte, DAVID CANUDAS of Southern Miss, JORGE ESCALLON of South Florida, IKAIKA JOBE of Saint Louis, JOE SCHMULIAN of Memphis and East Carolina’s CHARL MEYER.

Romero was also voted Singles Player of the Championship, while Kogan and Romero earned Doubles Team of the Championship honors for the second straight year.

2003 CONFERENCE USA MEN’S TENNIS
POSTSEASON AWARDS


First Team All-Conference
Paco Antelo, USF
Cody Conley, LOU
*Uli Kiendl, USF
*Michael Kogan, TUL
Alex Menichini, TCU
Victor Romero, TUL

Second Team All-Conference
Paulo Carvalho, LOU
Toni Gordon, TCU
Dmitriy Koch, TUL
Fabrizio Sestini, TCU
Ben Stapp, MEM
Lee Taylor Walker, MEM

Third Team All-Conference
Arturo Aguirre, CHA
David Canudas, USM
Jorge Escallon, USF
Ikaika Jobe, SLU
Charl Meyer, ECU
Joe Schmulian, MEM

Player of the Year
Michael Kogan, TUL

Freshman of the Year
Jhonny Berrido, LOU

Coach of the Year
Robert Klein, TUL

Singles Player of the Championship
Victor Romero, TUL

Doubles Team of the Championship
Michael Kogan and Victor Romero, TUL

*Indicates top two C-USA players in the ITA Individual Rankings at time of awards selection