May 1, 2006

DALLAS - Baylor's men's tennis players Lars Poerschke and Michal Kokta were named All-Big 12 first team in both singles and doubles the conference office announced today.

Poerschke, a sophomore from Bingen, Germany, has now earned All-Big 12 honors in both singles and doubles for the second straight season. The 2005 Big 12 Freshman of the Year posted a 7-0 Big 12 record this season and is 14-0 in league contest in his two seasons. The sixth-ranked Poerschke is 33-9 in singles on the season and is 20-6 in dual match competition and has an active 13-match win streak.

Kokta, a junior from Prague, Czech Republic, earned his first All-Big 12 singles selection with a 6-1 conference mark. In his second season at Baylor, Kokta, currently ranked No. 38 nationally, leads the team in singles with a 37-7 mark and is 20-4 in dual matches in 2006.

Poerschke and Kokta teamed together and were awarded with All-Big 12 doubles selection. It was a repeat honor for both players. They have posted a 14-1 record as a tandem, all in dual matches.

The All-Big 12 honors are selected by the league's head coaches, who are not allowed to vote for their own players. Six men's singles players, including Poerschke, and two doubles teams, including the Baylor tandem, were unanimously honored, with six athletes earning repeat selection.

2006 ALL-BIG 12 MEN'S TENNIS AWARDS

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Travis Helgeson, Texas, So.

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Ivan Puchkarov, Oklahoma State, So.

FRESHMEN OF THE YEAR
Conor Pollock, Texas A&M, Fr.

COACHES OF THE YEAR
Sam Winterbotham, Colorado, 3rd season
Michael Center, Texas, 6th season

ALL-BIG 12 TEAM

SINGLES
Michal Kokta, Baylor, Jr.
Lars Poerschke, Baylor, So.**
Peter Bjork, Colorado, Jr.
Eric Molnar, Colorado, Jr.
Marek Velicka, Oklahoma, Jr.
Tomas Bohunicky, Oklahoma State, Sr.
Daniel Byrnes, Oklahoma State, Jr.**
Ivan Puchkarov, Oklahoma State, So.**
Callum Beale, Texas, Sr.
Roger Gubser, Texas, Sr.**
Travis Helgeson, Texas, So.**
Jerry Makowski, Texas A&M, So.**
Dimitrio Martinez, Texas Tech, Jr.

DOUBLES
Lars Poerschke/Michal Kokta, Baylor**
Marko Bundalo/Eric Molnar, Colorado
Jerry Posch/Mark Tate, Nebraska
Marek Velicka/Alexei Ivanov, Oklahoma**
Daniel Byrnes/Nathan Byrnes, Oklahoma State
Callum Beale/Miguel Reyes Varela, Texas

** - Unanimous Selection
A tie in the voting created an additional singles position