NAU's Handel Earns Third #BigSkyTennis MVP Honor; Men's All-Conference Team Unveiled
OGDEN, Utah (May 3, 2019) – Northern Arizona senior Tim Handel was named the Big Sky Conference Men’s Tennis Most Valuable Player for the third-straight season while teammate Facundo Tumosa was tabbed the Big Sky Freshman of the Year to headline a group of 24 All-Big Sky honorees.
Handel became just the fourth men's tennis player in league history to garner three MVP honors since the award was first handed out in 1983.
The Reutlingen, Germany native paced Northern Arizona to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and the Lumberjacks’ first Big Sky Championship in 22 years this season. Handel posted a 21-1 record with a 10-0 mark against Big Sky opponents to finish his career 38-2 in league action.
Handel, the lone unanimous selection on the All-Big Sky First Team, was joined on the team by Eastern Washington’s Jeremy Field, Sacramento State’s Mikus Losbergs, Southern Utah’s Salvador Mijares, Montana’s Max Korkh and Northern Arizona’s Lucas Taylor.
Field, a senior from Seyssinet-Pariset, France, capped off his collegiate career going 12-7 at No. 1 singles with a 7-3 record in conference play.
Losbergs earned first team accolades for the second time in his career (2017) after compiling a 7-3 mark against Big Sky opponents in his final season. The Marupe, Latvia native went 10-7 overall playing on court one.
A native of Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela, Mijares went 6-2 in league play while carrying a 13-4 record on the season to earn first team honors in his senior season.
Playing primarily at No. 3 singles, Korkh posted an 8-2 mark in conference action. The Vancouver, British Columbia native went 12-9 overall in his junior campaign.
Playing just below Handel in the NAU lineup, Taylor went 13-10 on court two this season. The senior from London compiled an 8-2 record against Big Sky opponents.
Handel teamed up with senior Ruben Montano to be named All-Big Sky First Team Doubles honorees for the second time in their careers. The duo posted a 16-6 record playing on court one with a 6-1 mark in Big Sky play.
Losbergs was named a first team doubles honoree for the second-straight season as he teamed up with junior Louis Chabut for an 11-4 record with a 7-2 mark in conference at No. 1.
Rounding out the first team doubles honorees were Idaho State’s David Felix and Gary Rendek. Felix captured the honor for the second time in his career as the duo closed out the season on an eight-match win streak to finish 13-2 overall and 8-2 in league play at No. 2.
Earning All-Big Sky Second Team Singles accolades were Tumosa, Montano, Montana State’s Alexander Flink, Portland State’s Lucas Castelo Branco and Matteo Fortini, and Sacramento State’s Hermont Legaspi and Johannes Gjerdaker.
Compiling a 9-1 record in conference action, Tumosa went 18-8 playing primarily on courts three and four to capture freshman of the year honors.
Honorable mention singles accolades went to Felix, Northern Arizona’s Tom Fisher, Portland State’s Tommy Edwards and Weber State’s Paul Ohde.
Fisher and Chris Steele, Edwards and Avery West, and Southern Utah’s Jonathan Morales and Conor Tordoff were named second team doubles. Honorable mention doubles went to Flink and Drew Brown as well as Taylor and Tumosa.
| 2019 Big Sky Men's Tennis All-Conference Team |
|
| FIRST TEAM SINGLES |
| Name |
School |
Class |
| *#Tim Handel |
Northern Arizona |
Senior |
| Jeremy Field |
Eastern Washington |
Senior |
| Salvador Mijares |
Southern Utah |
Senior |
| ^Mikus Losbergs |
Sacramento State |
Senior |
| Max Korkh |
Montana |
Junior |
| Lucas Taylor |
Northern Arizona |
Senior |
| * - Unanimous All-Big Sky First Team Singles |
| # - Four-time All-Big Sky First Team Singles |
| ^ - Two-time All-Big Sky First Team Singles |
|
| SECOND TEAM SINGLES |
| Name |
School |
Class |
| Alexander Flink |
Montana State |
Senior |
| Ruben Montano |
Northern Arizona |
Senior |
| Lucas Castelo Branco |
Portland State |
Senior |
| Matteo Fortini |
Portland State |
Sophomore |
| Facundo Tumosa |
Northern Arizona |
Freshman |
| Hermont Legaspi |
Sacramento State |
Junior |
| Johannes Gjerdaker |
Sacramento State |
Freshman |
|
|
|
| HONORABLE MENTION SINGLES |
| Name |
School |
Class |
| David Felix |
Idaho State |
Senior |
| Tom Fisher |
Northern Arizona |
Senior |
| Tommy Edwards |
Portland State |
Junior |
| Paul Ohde |
Weber State |
Freshman |
|
|
|
| FIRST TEAM DOUBLES |
| Name |
School |
Class |
^Tim Handel
^Ruben Montano |
Northern Arizona |
Senior
Senior |
^Mikus Losbergs
Louis Chabut |
Sacramento State |
Senior
Junior |
^David Felix
Gary Rendek |
Idaho State |
Senior
Junior |
| ^ - Two-time All-Big Sky First Team Doubles |
|
|
|
| SECOND TEAM DOUBLES |
| Name |
School |
Class |
Tom Fisher
Chris Steele |
Northern Arizona |
Senior
Sophomore |
Tommy Edwards
Avery West |
Portland State |
Junior
Senior |
Jonathan Morales
Conor Tordoff |
Southern Utah |
Sophomore
Junior |
|
|
|
| HONORABLE MENTION DOUBLES |
| Name |
School |
Class |
Alexander Flink
Drew Brown |
Montana State |
Senior
Junior |
Lucas Taylor
Facundo Tumosa |
Northern Arizona |
Senior
Freshman |
2019 Big Sky Individual Award Winners
Big Sky MVP – Tim Handel, Northern Arizona
Big Sky Freshman of the Year – Facundo Tumosa, Northern Arizona