Edmunds of Middlebury Scores Player of the Year

HARTFORD, Conn. – Nathan Edmunds was named NESCAC Player of the Year following the 2004 NESCAC Men’s Tennis Championship. Edmunds, a sophomore at Middlebury College, lost in the top singles flight championship match to fellow first-team all-conference member William Boe-Wiegaard of Bates. Senior brothers Andrew and Daniel Murray received the Clarence Chaffee Award given annually to the player or players who best combined and displayed a high standard of tennis coupled with the highest levels of sportsmanship. Bowdoin head coach Jane Paterson and Middlebury head coach Dave Schwarz were recognized by their peers as NESCAC Co-Coaches of the Year.

The All-NESCAC team was determined from action at the tournament. Each singles player who advanced to the semifinals of the first singles flight or the final of the second singles flight earned all-conference honors. In doubles, the two teams who advanced to the final of the first doubles flight and the winning duo in the second doubles flight garnered All-NESCAC honors.

Edmunds, who earned all-conference recognition last year by winning the #2 singles flight, led Middlebury to their first ever conference title with an appearance in the #1 singles final and a victory in the #3 doubles final. Tufts’ Rifat Perahya, now a three-time all conference member, was the only player to earn all-conference recognition in both singles and doubles play. Perahya and Bowdoin junior Macafee Burke earned all-conference singles recognition by reaching the semifinals of the #1 singles flight. Brian Waldron of Middlebury and Daniel Murray of Williams earned all-conference honors by reaching the finals of the #2 singles draw.

The Amherst sophomore doubles team of Josh Rilla and Danny Babkes earned all-conference honors by winning the #1 flight over the Tufts tandem of Perahya and senior Jon Bram.

Perahya and Bram also earned first team doubles recognition. Williams seniors John Haywood and Lex Urban earned first team doubles recognition by winning the #2 flight doubles draw.