NORFOLK, Va., - South Carolina State University’s Suhaila Jad and Florida A&M University’s C. Salif Kante were named the 2012 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Women’s and Men’s Tennis Players of the Year, as voted by the conference’s head tennis coaches and sports information directors. 
Delaware State’s Vanja Andonova was named Rookie of the Year for the women while South Carolina State’s Hardeep Judge was selected as the Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year.

Igor Braga earned the men’s Rookie of the Year honor with Florida A&M’s Dr. Carl Goodman receiving the Men’s Tennis Coach of the Year accolade.
 
Jad, the reigning MEAC Women’s Tennis Outstanding Performer, posted a 14-2 record at the number one singles position including an unblemished 6-0 mark in southern divisional play. She teamed with All-MEAC First Team selection Sabrina Mendez to tally a 16-0 record in doubles this season. In March, Jad was ranked among the top Collegiate Women's Tennis Players with a #105 listing in the ITA rankings.
 
Andonova tallied a 15-1 overall record including a 10-0 mark at the number four singles position. In doubles action, she was 13-2, including the northern divisional sweep.
 
Judge earns his fourth Coach of the Year award for the women’s tennis program. He previously earned honors in 2005, 2006 and 2008. In his 11th year at the helm, the Lady Bulldogs recorded a perfect 16-0 overall and undefeated 6-0 mark in conference play to win their fifth consecutive southern divisional title.

Joining Jad and Mendez on the women’s All-MEAC First-Team are teammates Victoriia Khatcei and Marcia Craciun.

North Carolina Central’s Cameron Chatman and Stacey Speller of Bethune-Cookman round out the first team.
 
On the men’s side, Kante posted a 4-0 mark in conference play and a 17-5 overall record at the number one singles position. In doubles play, the junior finished with a 15-6 mark to aid the Rattlers to a 13-9 overall record and the number two seed in the southern division.
 
Braga finished the regular season with a 12-11 mark in singles play at the number three position. In March, Braga earned Rookie of the Week honors with a straight set victory in a win over in-state rival Hampton.
 
The 2012 Men’s Coach of the Year honor is the third for Florida A&M’s Goodman who also won in 2006 and 2010. In his 15th year, Goodman guided FAMU to a 13-9 overall mark and 3-1 conference record.   Last month, the Rattlers were the only HBCU team ranked in the Top 75 of the ITA poll with a listing at 69.
 
Along with Kante, FAMU’s Chidi Gabriel earned men’s All-MEAC First-Team honors.  South Carolina State’s Dmytro Kovalevych, Artemiy Nikitin and Anton Protsenko along with Norfolk State’s Arsenio Culver also earned first-team selections.
 
The 2012 MEAC Men's and Women's Tennis Championships begin with women's play on Friday, April 13 at 8:30 a.m. The women's semi-final rounds start on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. followed by the men at Noon.  The Championship concludes on Sunday with the women's final beginning at 9 a.m. followed by the men's title match at Noon.
 
2012 MEAC Men’s and Women’s Tennis All-MEAC Teams
As Voted by the Conference’s Head Tennis Coaches and Sports Information Directors
 
Women
Player of the Year: Suhaila Jad, South Carolina State
Rookie of the Year: Vanja Andonova, Delaware State
Coach of the Year: Hardeep Judge, South Carolina State

Men
Player of the Year: C. Salif Kante, Florida A&M
Rookie of the Year: Igor Braga, Norfolk State
Coach of the Year: Dr. Carl Goodman, Florida A&M