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Army places six on 2005 All-Patriot League Women's Tennis teams
April 26, 2005 The 2005 Patriot League Women's Tennis Champion, Army, placed six student-athletes on this year's All-League teams, three on the first and three on the second. The Black Knights also lay claim to the 2005 Rookie of the Year, Christine Ong, (Tarzana, Calif./Cleveland Magnet) and the Coach of the Year, Paul Peck. The Player of the Year honor went to Bucknell senior Nada Curcic (Serbia/3rd Belgrade). Bucknell had three All-League members, while Lehigh placed two. American, Colgate and Lafayette all had one student-athlete named to this year's All-League teams. Curcic led the Bison to a 4-1 regular season League record and to the championship match of the 2005 Patriot League tournament, eventually falling to Army. The Bison's second place finish in the tourney was their highest since winning the crown in 1994 and their 17 overall wins this season set a new school record. Curcic became Bucknell's all-time leader in combined wins (155) this season and won 16-straight singles matches and 16-consecutive doubles matches at one point this season. She won both at doubles and singles in the semifinal match of the tourney as the Bison moved past Lehigh, 4-1. For the third year in a row an Army student-athlete was named Rookie of the Year as Ong took home this award to follow in the footsteps of Ali del Moral (2004) and Megan Noble (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte) (2003). During the regular season she went 7-0 at number two singles and 5-0 at number two doubles. She had three wins at the Patriot League Tournament, at both singles and doubles in the semifinal match with Colgate and at singles in the championship tilt. Peck was honored as the Coach of the Year for the sixth time during his career at Army, winning the award in 1997, 1999-2001 and 2003. Peck led the Black Knights to a perfect 5-0 season, the team's second in as many years. His Black Knights entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed and breezed by Colgate and Bucknell by scores of 4-0 to win the team's sixth Patriot League title. Army's Marissa Limsiaco (The Woodlands, Texas/Woodlands) and Amy Morganstern (Cooper City, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) join Ong on the first team. Limsiaco and Morganstern were named Co-Most Valuable Players at this year's tournament, combining at the number one doubles spot to win matches against Colgate and Bucknell. Each won one singles match at the tourney. Curcic's doubles partner, junior Veronica Brown (Derwood, Md./Colonel Zadok Magruder), was also on the first team as the two combined for those 16-consecutive doubles wins this season. Brown, who was named 2003's Co-Rookie of the Year, went 6-1 against League opponents at number one doubles. Brown won her singles match in the semifinal versus Lehigh. American sophomore Julia Colarusso (Downington, Pa./Downington) and Lehigh sophomore Gwendolyn Dwyer (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) round out this year's first team. Colarusso was the Eagles' number one player at both singles and doubles this year. She posted two League solo wins this season, defeating opponents from Colgate and Lafayette. Dwyer posted a 5-0 doubles record in League action this year at the number two spot and was 13-4 overall when playing with her regular partner. A trio of Army athletes landed themselves on the second team, including junior Noble, Amanda Paluch (Chapel Hill, N.C./Durham Academy) and freshman Jennifer Segar (Simi Valley, Calif./Chaminade College Prep). Noble is no stranger to the All-League teams having been named to them every year she has competed and was selected as the 2003 Co-Rookie of the Year. She was 4-1 in singles play during League matches. Paluch was perfect at both singles and doubles against League foes this season, while Segar posted a 3-0 League singles record and a 4-1 mark in doubles play. Bucknell senior Tanya Sichko (Boulder, Colo./Fairview) was 5-1 this season when playing singles against Patriot League opponents and won at number four singles in the semifinal contest against Lehigh. Colgate's lone representative on this year's All-League teams is freshman Alex Seaton (Edina, Minn./Edina), who came up with a second team showing. Seaton put up a 4-1 Patriot League singles record and went 3-2 at doubles. She owned a 12-6 singles and a 10-8 doubles overall record. The Leopards had one of their own named to the second team in junior Lisa Fung-Kee-Fung (Westmoorings, Trinidad/International School Port of Spain). Fung-Kee-Fung was 6-6 overall in doubles action and 6-8 in singles competition. She had two League wins in solo action, defeating opponents from American and Lehigh. Lehigh senior Maria Anorga (Lima, Peru/Villa Maria) was selected to the second team joining Dwyer as the two Mountain Hawk representatives on this year's All-League roster. Anorga also had a 5-0 League doubles record, playing all matches with Dwyer and went 13-4 overall. She owned a 3-1 mark in Patriot League singles matches and was 9-5 overall. Army received the League's automatic berth into the NCAA Championship and will hear of the pairings on May 4 between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. on ESPNews. Check out the Patriot League website, www.patriotleague.com, for the announcement of the 2005 Men's Tennis All-League teams next week. 2005 Patriot League Women's Tennis All-League Teams FIRST TEAM SECOND TEAM Player of the Year: Nada Curcic, Bucknell, Sr.
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