May 2, 2013
Greensboro, N.C. – Georgia Tech senior Juan Spir has been named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference men’s tennis team for the third time. The 2013 all-conference team was announced by Commissioner John Swofford on Thursday.
The big-serving senior from Medellin, Colombia joined a star-studded list of Tech players who have made the team three times, including his head coach, Kenny Thorne, former Tech women’s coach Bryan Shelton, Kevin King, Guillermo Gomez, Roger Anderson, Benjamin Cassaigne, B.J. Traub and Jens Skjoedt.
“Juan has played very well late in the season for us and solidified the top of our lineup,” said head coach Kenny Thorne. “He is arguably the best doubles player ever to come through Tech, so it is gratifying to see him become an All-ACC honoree for the third time.”
Ranked 44th in the nation in singles, Spir has earned a bid the NCAA Singles Championship for the second time. He has built a 21-15 overall record this year, 12-10 in dual matches and 8-2 in ACC matches, splitting time between the No. 1 and 2 spots in the Tech singles lineup. He won six straight matches toward the end of the regular season, including four straight over ranked opponents and a straight-set win over the nation’s top-ranked player, Alex Domijan of Virginia, and is 75-52 in his Tech career.
The senior has earned a bigger reputation as a doubles player, having won the USTA/ITA Southeast Regional and advanced far in the national collegiate indoors with two different partners in his career and racking up 101 victories, a Tech record. Spir is playing in the Doubles Championship for the third time this year with Tech sophomore Vikram Hundal, with whom he has an 11-1 tournament record and a 7-4 dual match record. They are currently ranked 10th in the nation and have a victory over the nation’s No. 1 team, Auburn’s Daniel Cochrane and Andreas Mies, to their credit.
Four-time All-ACC team selection Henrique Cunha was named the ACC Player of the Year, while Virginia Tech freshman Amerigo Contini was named ACC Freshman of the Year and Wake Forest head coach Tony Bresky was named ACC Coach of the Year. Postseason honors, along with the 19-member 2013 All-ACC team, were selected by a vote of the league’s 11 head coaches.
Joining Cunha as a four-time All-ACC team honoree is Virginia senior Jarmere Jenkins. Along with Spir, Virginia junior Alex Domijan were selected to the team for the third straight season, while Clemson senior Yannick Maden, Virginia sophomore Mitchell Frank, and Wake Forest senior David Hopkins earned honors for the second time of their careers.
ACC Champion Virginia led all schools with four selections on the All-ACC team, while Duke and Wake Forest each had three student-athletes on the squad. Clemson, NC State and Virginia Tech each placed two players on the team, and Florida State, Georgia Tech and North Carolina with one selection each.
2013 All-ACC Men's Tennis TeamHunter Harrington, So., ClemsonYannick Maden, Sr., Clemson **Henrique Cunha, Sr., Duke ****Michael Redlicki, Fr., DukeFred Saba, Jr., DukeDominic Cotrone, So., Florida StateJuan Spir, Sr., Georgia Tech ***Esben Hess-Olesen, So., North CarolinaRobbie Mudge, So., NC StateAustin Powell, So., NC StateAlex Domijan, Jr., Virginia ***Mitchell Frank, So., Virginia **Jarmere Jenkins, Sr., Virginia ****Mac Styslinger, Fr., VirginiaAndreas Bjerrehus, Fr., Virginia TechAmerigo Contini, Fr., Virginia TechDavid Hopkins, Sr., Wake Forest **Adam Lee, Jr., Wake ForestAmogh Prabhakar, Sr., Wake Forest*Due to a tie in voting an extra member has been added to the All-ACC team
Player of the Year: Henrique Cunha, Sr., Duke Freshman of the Year: Amerigo Contini, Fr., Virginia Tech Coach of the Year: Tony Bresky, Wake Forest
