Buckeyes Receive ITA Regional Awards – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/13/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
May 13, 2002
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State women’s tennis senior Monica Rincon (Lapeer, Mich./West) has been named the winner of the Arthur Ashe, Jr., Leadership and Sportsmanship Award and the Senior Award for the Midwest region, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association today announced. Buckeye assistant coach Frank Polito was named the assistant coach of the year for the region.
The Arthur Ashe Award is given to a player who has exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and leadership as well as scholastic, extracurricular and tennis achievements. The senior award is given to the outstanding senior player in the region.
Rincon and Polito now are eligible for the national awards. The winners will be announced Sunday (May 19) in Stanford, Calif.
Rincon, a three-time All-Big Ten honoree, will compete in the 64-player NCAA singles championship beginning Monday, May 20. She is ranked 68th in the nation and has been as high as No. 51. This season, Rincon has posted a singles record of 25-9 to lead the squad, including a mark of 18-4 at No. 1 singles this spring. Rincon is second all-time at Ohio State in career singles wins with 101 and is just three short of the program record of 104.
In doubles, Rincon has been ranked nationally with partner Meaghan Colville for most of the season and the duo currently holds the No. 49 spot. Rincon is tied for third all-time at Ohio State with 92 doubles wins, including 23 this season. She earned All-America honors last season after reaching the quarterfinals of the NCAA doubles championship, one of two Buckeyes ever to earn All-America accolades. In 2000, Rincon earned the ITA Midwest Region Player to Watch Award.
Rincon, the Buckeyes’ captain, will be a four-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete and a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. She is double-majoring in international business and operations management and also is working on a minor in Spanish. She has been part of the Student-Athlete Advisory Board and has been active in the Hispanic community at Ohio State. She has been involved with Campus Crusade for Christ as well as Athletes in Action.
“Monica is so deserving of these awards,” Chuck Merzbacher, Ohio State head coach, said. “I’m very proud of her. She has represented the program and The Ohio State University well.”
Polito is in his first season as an assistant coach for the Buckeyes. He helped the squad set a number of records, including a program-best 19 wins, this season. The squad earned an at-large berth in the NCAA tournament for the fourth-consecutive time.
“Coach Polito, in his first season, helped the team establish the record for most wins in a season,” Merzbacher said. “He has helped us maintain our competitiveness in the league and in the nation.”
