Bowdoin's Burke and Trinity's Marsden Share Player of the Year Honors

HADLEY, Mass. – Bowdoin’s McAfee Burke and Trinity’s Brian Marsden shared NESCAC Player of the Year honors announced at the 2005 NESCAC Men’s Tennis Championships. Burke led Bowdoin to a second place finish at the Championships winning both the top flight singles and doubles titles. Burke also received the Clarence Chaffee Award given annually to the player who best combined and displayed a high standard of tennis coupled with the highest levels of sportsmanship. Marsden, whose only dual match loss this season has been to Burke, was unable to participate in the NESCAC Tournament. Williams freshman Dan Greenberg was named NESCAC Rookie of the Year while Bates head coach Paul Gastonguay and Williams head coach Dave Johnson were recognized by their colleagues as NESCAC Co-Coaches of the Year.

The All-NESCAC team was determined from action at the tournament. Each singles player who advanced to the semifinals of the first singles flight or the final of the second singles flight earned all-conference honors. In doubles, the two teams who advanced to the final of the first doubles flight and the winning duo in the second doubles flight garnered All-NESCAC honors.

William Boe-Wiegaard, the 2003 Rookie of the Year and top flight singles champion in both 2003 and 2004, earned all-conference honors for the third consecutive season falling to Burke in the top flight singles final. Burke, a first team honoree a year ago, also earned first team doubles honors at this year’s tournament. Josh Rilla of Amherst and Brian Waldron of Middlebury were honored on the first team after falling to Burke and Boe-Wiegaard respectively in the top flight singles semifinals. Middlebury’s Ari Beilin, the second singles flight champion, and Williams’ Jeffrey Kivitz also earned first team recognition.

The Bowdoin doubles team of Burke and freshman Garrett Gates earned all-conference honors defeating the Middlebury tandem of Justin Ingoglia and George Mayer in the first doubles championship. Igoglia and Mayer also earned first team all-conference doubles recognition. Beilin and Alex Scott of Middlebury round out the first team accolades by winning the second doubles draw.