April 19, 2006
WACO, Texas - The Big 12 Conference announced its Men's and Women's 10th Anniversary teams this afternoon as voted on by the conference's head coaches. In singles for Baylor, Benjamin Becker and Benedikt Dorsch, who was unanimously elected, represent the men while Katja Kovac and Zuzana Zemenova represent the women.
Players eligible for the teams had to have been placed on the All-Big 12 First Team at least once in their careers. The conference office will be forming anniversary teams for all Big 12 sports this year as the conference celebrates its 10 years in existence.
Becker appeared on the singles All-Big 12 First Team for all four seasons he played at Baylor, 2002-2005. During his career, Becker claimed a number of conference championships including the No. 1 singles title in 2002, the No. 2 doubles title in 2002, the No. 2 doubles title in 2004, and the No. 2 singles title in 2005. In 2002, Becker was honored as the conference's Freshman of the Year. Becker is also a two-time singles All-American (2004, 2005), an honor he shares with teammate and fellow Big 12 anniversary team member Dorsch.
Dorsch appeared on the singles All-Big 12 First Team from 2003-2005 and was named the Big 12 Player of the Year in three consecutive season, 2003, 2004, and 2005. In 2003, Dorsch was the conference's Newcomer of the Year. Both Baylor standouts claimed NCAA singles championships, Becker in 2004 and Dorsch in 2005.
From the women's program, Kovac was named to the singles All-Big 12 First Team in all four years of her career at Baylor, 1999-2002. In the Big 12 tournament, Kovac claimed three titles, No. 2 singles in 2002, No. 2 singles in 2001, and No. 1 singles in 2002. Recognized for her doubles play, Kovac was an doubles All-American player in 2001. In March of 2000, she was highlighted aw the Big 12 Player of the Week, the first of any Bear to earn the award in the women's program.
Serving as the only current Baylor Bear to make the anniversary team, sophomore Zemenova earned eligibility for her 10th anniversary nomination by being placed on 2005's singles All-Big 12 First Team after claiming the No. 1 singles title at the conference tournament. In May Zemenova became the program's first NCAA singles national champion, the first unseeded player to ever win the title in NCAA history. Adding to her credits, Zemenova was honored with the Honda Award as the nation's best tennis player. She is Baylor's first female to earn the award. Also in 2005, the Big 12 honored Zemenova as conference's Player and Freshman of the Year. This season, Zemenova has been twice picked as the Big 12's Player of the Week, March 7 and March 28.
A photo gallery with downloadable images of select team members is available at http://www.big12sports.com/sports/c-tennis/spec-rel/041906aac.html.
Big 12 Men's Tennis 10th Anniversary Team
Singles
Benjamin Becker, Baylor
Benedikt Dorsch *, Baylor
Pavel Kudrnac, Oklahoma State
Jack Brasington, Texas
Shuon Madden, Texas A&M
Ryan Newport, Texas A&M
Doubles
Martin Dvoracek/Pavel Kudrnac, Oklahoma State
Dumitru Caradima/Shuon Madden *, Texas A&M
Lester Cook/Ante Matijevic, Texas A&M
Big 12 Women's 10th Anniversary Team
Singles
Katja Kovac, Baylor
Zuzana Zemenova, Baylor
Alena Jecminkova, Kansas State
Anda Perianu, Oklahoma
Michelle Faucher, Texas
Sandy Sureephong, Texas
Doubles
Urska Juric/Katka Sevcikova, Missouri
Linda Faltynkova/Katia Kolodynska, Oklahoma State
Cristina Moros/Sandy Sureephong, Texas
* Denotes unanimous selection.
