POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (April 27, 2009) – After a weekend of victories in which the women’s tennis team won its seventh straight Liberty League Championship and men’s lacrosse capped its season with two consecutive wins, five Vassar athletes representing those two teams earned weekly Liberty League honors. For women’s tennis,
Nicole Pontee was named Performer of the Week while freshmen
Jennifer Beckerman and
Joy Backer shared Rookie of the Week honors. For men’s lacrosse,
Zach Beauchamp was a Defensive Performer of the Week and
Jack Gross earned Rookie of the Week honors.
Nicole Pontee
Pontee was named the Liberty League Championship MVP this weekend as she led Vassar to its seventh straight league title. Pontee had wins at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles as the Brewers defeated Skidmore, 8-1. Pontee's 6-1, 6-1 win over Skidmore's Danika Robison was, appropriately, the fifth and clinching win for Vassar, pushing her season record to 24-4. Pontee and teammate Jamison Steele, also won at doubles, 8-4. On Saturday in the semifinals, Pontee won 6-4, 6-0 against William Smith, with an 8-5 win at doubles. Earlier in the week, Pontee cruised through her singles match, dropping just one game as Vassar swept Bates. She and Steele pulled out a 9-8 (3) win at No. 1 doubles as well.
With this Performer of the Week award, Pontee hits double digits for the season, bringing her career total to 15 to go with seven Rookie of the Week awards. As a freshman she was the Liberty League Rookie of the Year, and the Player of the Year as a sophomore. In the most recent Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings, Pontee is ranked No. 4 in the Northeast.
Jennifer Beckerman
Beckerman went 4-0 at No. 2 singles and No. 3 doubles as Vassar downed William Smith, 8-1, in the semifinals and then defeated Skidmore, 8-1, to win the Liberty League title. In the championship match, Beckerman recovered from a 4-1 deficit in the first set to win 6-4, 6-0 and improve her season record to 17-6. Beckerman and partner Alexis Jacobson improved to 17-2 at No. 3 doubles as they won an 8-2 match. Beckerman breezed through her competition in the semifinals on Saturday, with a 6-0, 6-2 win at singles and an 8-2 win at doubles. In Vassar’s sweep of Bates on Wednesday, Beckerman persevered through a 5-7, 7-6 (5), 10-5 win at singles and won 8-2 at doubles.
In her impressive freshman campaign, in which she amassed a combined 35-8 record, Beckerman has earned seven Rookie of the Week awards.
Joy Backer
At No. 3 singles, Backer avenged an early-April loss (6-3, 6-0) to Skidmore's Allie Burns, cruising to a 6-1, 6-0 victory on Sunday to help Vassar defeat Skidmore 8-1 in the Liberty League Championship match. At No. 2 doubles, she and partner Krista Romita pulled out an 8-6 win to give the Brewers a 3-0 edge heading into singles play. In the semifinals on Saturday, Backer defeated her William Smith opponent, 6-1, 7-5, and recorded an 8-2 doubles win with Romita. Against Bates on Wednesday, Backer pulled out a three-set win at singles (6-1, 1-6, 7-5) and an 8-3 win at doubles.
Backer has now been named Rookie of the Week on three occasions to go with one Performer of the Week honor.
Zach Beauchamp
The Liberty League's leader in groundballs had a sensational three-game stretch for the Brewers, as they went 2-1 and set a program record for wins. Beauchamp had 21 ground balls (7.0 gpg) and added seven caused turnovers. In a tight 12-8 loss to Union, Beauchamp added a goal, his first of the season.
For Beauchamp, who earned 2008 All-Liberty League Honorable Mention, this is his first career weekly award.
Jack Gross
Gross concluded his freshman season by earning back-to-back hat tricks against SUNY Cobleskill and Cazenovia College. His play helped the Brewers win two straight and finish with six victories, setting a single season record for wins. Gross added a pair of assists and ten ground balls. He finished the season third on the team in scoring with 16 goals and three assists.
This is Gross’s second Rookie of the Week award.