Men's Tennis Awards

Michael Kogan

CHICAGO - Tulane's MICHAEL KOGAN has been named Conference USA Player of the Year for the second straight year, while South Florida head coach DON BARR earned the league's Coach of the Year honors for the fourth time after directing the Bulls to their fourth C-USA championship on April 21 in Louisville. FABRIZIO SESTINI of TCU was also named C-USA Freshman of the Year. The awards were selected in a vote of the league's 12 head coaches.

Kogan, in his second season with the Green Wave, led defending champion Tulane to a second-place finish at the C-USA Championship. He compiled a 32-8 overall mark in singles this year and is currently ranked No. 20 in the Omni Hotels ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings. Kogan, a native of Kfar-Saba, Israel, posted a 22-3 doubles record with VICTOR ROMERO and the duo is currently ranked No. 19.

In his 11th season as head coach at South Florida, Barr guided the Bulls to their fourth conference crown, defeating top seed TCU in the semifinals and defending champion Tulane in the finals. South Florida has enjoyed five appearances in the C-USA championship finals, earning a total of four titles (2002, 1999, 1998 and 1996). Barr was also picked up coach of the year honors in 1999, 1998 and 1996. Currently ranked No. 25, South Florida (17-4) will make its seventh appearance in the NCAA Championship.

Sestini posted an 11-14 record at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions for TCU in its first season in the league. The native of Rome, Italy, is currently ranked No. 123.

Kogan and teammate Romero are joined on the first team All-Conference USA by: PACO ANTELO and MARTIN WETZEL of South Florida, JEVGENIJ CARIOV of DePaul and TCU's TONI GORDON.

Named second team All-Conference USA are: CODY CONLEY of Louisville, OLA JONSSON of Charlotte, MIIKKA KANGAS of Southern Miss, SESTINI, BEN STAPP of Memphis and UAB's ANDRE VAN DER MERWE.

Players receiving third team All-Conference USA honors include: MICHAEL CHAMBERLAIN of Memphis, IKAIKA JOBE of Saint Louis; ALEX JUNG of UAB, DAN McCAIN and NADIM NASER of South Florida and Tulane's MATTIAS WESTERBERG.

Cariov was also voted Singles Player of the Championship, while Kogan and Romero earned Doubles Team of the Championship honors.

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2002 CONFERENCE USA MEN'S TENNIS
POSTSEASON AWARDS


First Team All-Conference
Paco Antelo, USF
Jevgenij Cariov, DPU
Toni Gordon, TCU
*Michael Kogan, TUL
*Victor Romero, TUL
Martin Wetzel, USF

Second Team All-Conference
Cody Conley, LOU
Ola Jonsson, CHA
Miikka Kangas, USM
Fabrizio Sestini, TCU
Ben Stapp, MEM
Andre Van Der Merwe, UAB

Third Team All-Conference
Michael Chamberlain, MEM
Ikaika Jobe, SLU
Alex Jung, UAB
Nadim Naser, USF
Dan McCain, USF
Mattias Westerberg, TUL

Player of the Year
Michael Kogan, TUL

Freshman of the Year
Fabrizio Sestini, TCU

Coach of the Year
Don Barr, USF

Singles Player of the Championship
Jevgenij Cariov, DPU

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


*Indicates top two C-USA players in the Omni Hotels ITA Individual Rankings