For Immediate Release: April 28, 2005
Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-6800

Binghamton men's tennis sweeps America East Player, Rookie and Coach awards
Hanegby, Dobrin and Coach Starke selected for top honors at banquet

WALLINGFORD, Conn. - On the eve of the America East Men's Tennis Championship, the top-seeded and two-time defending champion Binghamton men's tennis team (19-5) swept the three major awards handed out for the 2004-05 season. At the banquet held Thursday night at Zandri's Stillwood Inn, sophomore Dan Hanegby (Herzliya, Israel) was selected as the Player of the Year, freshman Alex Dobrin (Flushing, N.Y.) was chosen as the Rookie of the Year and 18th-year head coach Michael Starke was honored by his peers as Coach of the Year.

Hanegby won the honor for the second straight year and Starke was tabbed for the third consecutive season after leading the Bearcats to a school-record win total which includes a current record-tying 10-match win streak.

Hanegby, currently ranked No. 92 in the country, is 29-7 overall, 19-4 in duals. Dobrin, who played primarily at No. 3 singles, is 25-5 overall, 20-3 in duals.

"Dan is an amazing tennis player and competitor," Starke said of Hanegby. "He certainly has earned every one of the accolades he has received this year and I know he won't be satisfied until he wins his next two matches and does his best to bring a conference title home to Binghamton.

"And I couldn't be happier for Alex," Starke continued. "I'm glad the coaches made the right choice. Like Dan, Alex he has the heart of a lion and refuses to lose. He's a wily, competitive freshman who has exceeded any of my expectations.

Starke was humble in accepting his third straight Coach of the Year honor.

"Certainly it's quote an honor when your peers select you," he said. "The awards are nice but we are here to try to defend our title and we will do everything we can to win it. It won't come easy."

Joining the pair on the all-conference team are juniors Richemn Mourad (Sao Paulo, Brazil), Edwin Gerard (Bayside, N.Y.) and Brian O'Connor (New Rochelle, N.Y.). Mourad was the first-team selection at No. 2 singles, Gerard the top pick at No. 5 and O'Connor the first team choice at No. 6. Dobrin and O'Connor were also selected as the top team at No. 2 doubles.

The all-conference selections included two players from each of the six singles positions and two pairs from each of the three doubles spots.

The six-team America East Championship begins Friday at the Connecticut Tennis Center in New Haven. Binghamton has earned a first-round bye and will meet the winner of a quarterfinal match pitting fourth-seeded Hartford against fifth-seeded Boston University in a noon Saturday semifinal.

The America East champion receives an automatic berth into the NCAA Championship.