R-MC's Gray, VWC's Downing, W&L's Holt also Honored

FOREST, Va. --- Washington and Lee University top singles player Taylor Shamshiri headlines the 2014 All-ODAC Men's Tennis Awards as the Generals' junior was selected as the ODAC Player of the Year by the league's head coaches.  Teammate Michael Holt earned the ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Award.  Randolph-Macon College mentor Charles Gray received ODAC Coach of the Year honors, and Virginia Wesleyan College's Kenneth Downing was tabbed the ODAC Rookie of the Year.

Shamshiri, a junior from Austin, Texas, continued W&L's presence atop the ODAC awards as his Player of the Year honor is the third straight claimed by a General, joining two from Hayden White '13.  Shamshiri is currently the 13th-ranked singles player in the ITA's South Atlantic Region.  He owns a 10-9 mark in all singles matches, including a 6-0 record against conference foes.  In doubles play, he and partner Michael Holt are ranked fifth in the Atlantic South as they've racked up a 21-4 overall mark, including 15-3 at the top flight and 9-1 against ODAC competition.

Gray has worked with the Yellow Jacket men's and women's tennis programs the past nine seasons, but this is his first year as R-MC's Director of Tennis.  Under Gray, Randolph-Macon improved from a 10-13 overall record and a 4-6 mark in league play towards the #7 seed in the ODAC Tournament in 2013 to the #3 seed in 2014 with records of 12-7 and 8-2.  Three players earned All-ODAC honors, including first team recognition at #1 doubles for Michael Baxter and Ryan Byrd.

Downing, a freshman from Washington, D.C., adds this honor to an All-ODAC First Team accolade in singles play and a second team honor in doubles action.  Downing played out the #2 position for Virginia Wesleyan in his first season as a Marlin and posted a 14-3 record in all matches.  That included 9-1 showing in league play, all from the second flight.  He and partner Graham Wilson were equally impressive as a #1 doubles pairing, recording a 14-5 record in all matches.  They went 9-3 in league contests.

Holt, a sophomore from Henrico, Va., shines both on and off the court for W&L.  In the classroom, Holts boasts a 4.0 grade point average as a Mathematics major.  He earned a spot on the ODAC All-Academic Team in 2013, as well as Scholar Athlete distinction from the ITA.  On the court, Holt is currently the 14th-ranked singles player in the ITA's Atlantic South Region.  He went 17-6 in all matches this season, including a 10-3 mark at #2 singles and a 3-1 record at #1 singles.  He was 7-1 against league opponents, earning him All-ODAC First Team honors.  He and Shamshiri own a 21-4 record as the fifth-rated doubles pairing in the region.  They earned first team honors as well.

For more information, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.  Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow the ODAC on Twitter at @odacathletics.

2014 ALL-ODAC MEN'S TENNIS AWARDS
ODAC Player of the Year: Taylor Shamshiri, Jr., Washington and Lee
ODAC Coach of the Year: Charles Gray, Randolph-Macon
ODAC Rookie of the Year: Kenneth Downing, Fr., Virginia Wesleyan
ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete: Michael Holt, Jr., Washington and Lee

All-ODAC First Team
#1 Singles: Taylor Shamshiri, Jr., Washington and Lee
#1 Singles: Graham Wilson, So., Virginia Wesleyan
#2 Singles: Kenneth Downing, Fr., Virginia Wesleyan
#2 Singles: Michael Holt, Jr., Washington and Lee
#3 Singles: Christopher Hu, Jr., Washington and Lee
#4 Singles: Jordan Krasner, Fr., Washington and Lee
#5 Singles: Brian Krouskos, So., Washington and Lee
#6 Singles: Sam Borowsky, So., Washington and Lee
#1 Doubles: Michael Baxter, Sr., and Ryan Byrd, Jr., Randolph-Macon
#1 Doubles: Michael Holt, So., and Taylor Shamshiri, Jr., Washington and Lee
#2 Doubles: Brandon Larsen, Jr., and Thomas Rishcoff, Fr., Bridgewater
#3 Doubles: John Kirby, So., and Jordan Krasner, Fr., Washington and Lee

All-ODAC Second Team
#1 Singles: Brandon Larsen, Jr., Bridgewater
#1 Singles: Turner Votipka, Jr., Guilford
#2 Singles: Kyle Hartfield, Fr., Bridgewater
#3 Singles: Christian Lynn, Jr., Bridgewater
#4 Singles: John Adam, So., Randolph-Macon
#5 Singles: Tyler Chang, So., Virginia Wesleyan
#6 Singles: Brendan Kelleher, Fr., Virginia Wesleyan
#1 Doubles: Kenneth Downing, Fr., and Graham Wilson, So., Virginia Wesleyan
#1 Doubles: Erik Meiler, So., and Turner Votipka, Jr., Guilford
#2 Doubles: Sam Borowsky, So., and Christopher Hu, Jr., Washington and Lee
#3 Doubles: Sam Churchill, Sr., and Kyle Hartfield, Fr., Bridgewater