April 29, 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Vanderbilt freshman men’s tennis player Ryan Lipman was the recipient of many top honors on Thursday when the Southeastern Conference announced its annual awards for the 2010 season.
A Nashville native, Lipman was tabbed Co-SEC Freshman of the Year as well as being selected first team All-SEC and freshman All-SEC. Lipman is the first Vanderbilt freshman in school history to earn SEC Freshman of the Year honors or first team All-SEC accolades. He is also the first Vanderbilt player to earn All-SEC plaudits since Ryan Preston earned first team honors in 2008.
“It is a great achievement to be the first-ever Vanderbilt freshman to garner first team All-SEC honors,” Vanderbilt Head Coach Ian Duvenhage said. “Ryan is very deserving and I am excited to see what additional firsts are in his future.”
Ranked 35th-nationally, Lipman was the only freshman in the SEC to play the season in the No. 1 singles position. Lipman flourished at No. 1 and has compiled a 22-13 overall record, including a 12-10 mark in dual play and 6-5 record in the SEC. Sharing the Freshman of the Year honors with Lipman was Tennessee’s Rhyne Williams.
Lipman is the ninth-highest ranked singles player in the SEC and has earned three SEC Freshman of the Week honors throughout the season. He has defeated 10 ranked opponents this, including two other first team All-SEC selections (Javier Garrapiz and Saketh Myneni).
In doubles, Lipman has compiled a 17-8 overall record and has teamed with Bryant Salcedo to finish 7-3 in the No. 2 slot in SEC matches.
In the fall, Lipman finished runner-up at the ITA Ohio Valley Regional. Shortly before beginning his college career, Lipman finished runner-up at the 2009 USTA Boys’ 18 National Championships, the most prestigious junior tournament for U.S. citizens. The runner-up finish earned him a spot in the 2009 U.S. Open qualifying draw.
Lipman and the Commodores (13-10) are ranked 37th nationally this season and will learn their postseason fate on May 4 when the NCAA releases its postseason bracket.
Tennessee swept Coach of the Year and Player of the Year honors after winning the SEC regular season and postseason titles. A complete list of the awards are below.
Coach of the Year: Sam Winterbotham, Tennessee
Player of the Year: John-Patrick Smith, Tennessee
Co-Freshmen of the Year: Rhyne Williams, Tennessee / Ryan Lipman, Vanderbilt
Scholar Ahtlete of the Year: Saketh Myneni, Alabama
All-SEC First Team
Saketh Myneni, Alabama
Tim Puetz, Auburn
Alex Lacroix, Florida
Javier Garrapiz, Georgia
Eric Quigley, Kentucky
Marcel Thiemann, Ole Miss
Pedro Campos, South Carolina
Boris Conkic, Tennessee
Davey Sandgren, Tennessee
John-Patrick Smith, Tennessee
Rhyne Williams, Tennessee
Ryan Lipman, Vanderbilt
All-SEC Second Team
Chris Nott, Arkansas
Tim Hewitt, Auburn
Alex Stamchev, Auburn
Antoine Benneteau, Florida
Jamie Hunt, Georgia
Nate Schnugg, Georgia
Alex Musialek, Kentucky
Neal Skupski, LSU
Tucker Vorster, Ole Miss
George Coupland, Mississippi State
Diego Cubas, South Carolina
Tennys Sandgren, Tennessee
All-Freshman Team
Tim Hewitt, Auburn
Sekou Bangoura Jr., Florida
Bob Van Overbeek, Florida
Anthony Rossi, Kentucky
Tennys Sandgren, Tennessee
Rhyne Williams, Tennessee
Ryan Lipman, Vanderbilt
