Shannon Buck Earns Pair of Men's Tennis Regional Awards
5/13/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
May 13, 2003
Air Force men's tennis player Shannon Buck added two more post-season honors to his resume following an outstanding freshman season at the Academy in 2003. Buck won the Rookie of the Year and the Player to Watch awards for the Mountain Region, presented by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
Buck was selected from the region's 16 teams and is one of eight finalists for the national award in each category, which will be announced on Wednesday, May 21 during the NCAA Division I National Championships in Athens, Ga. Buck will play his first match at the NCAA Division I Singles Championships that same day.
The freshman from San Antonio, Texas, has an overall singles record of 31-3, including a 26-1 mark at No. 1 singles in dual matches. He was a perfect 8-0 against Mountain West Conference opponents and was named the MWC's Co-Player of the Year.
"Shannon is well deserving of these awards," said Air Force head coach Rich Gugat. "He produced the best individual season ever here at the Academy. He certainly set the bar high this season, but will strive to achieve this kind of excellence the next three years."
Buck, who tied the school record for most wins at No. 1 singles in one season and posted the second-best winning percentage (.963) for one season by any position player in school history, is currently ranked No. 71 in the country.
