ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Commonwealth Conference champion Elizabethtown College placed five players on the women's tennis All-Conference team, including Rookie of the Year
Allison Burkhardt and Coach of the Year
Matt Helsel, the conference office has announced.
The Blue Jays finished 15-5 overall and 6-0 in the Commonwealth Conference, winning the conference postseason championship and competing in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the second time in the last three years.
Joining Burkhardt on the first team were seniors
Jess Russell and
Emily Swarr, while fellow freshmen
Kristi Noecker and
Madison Pipkin were second-team selections.
Burkhardt finished with a 14-9 overall singles record and went 12-6 in dual matches at flight three including a perfect 6-0 record in regular-season conference matches. In doubles, she teamed with Pipkin to set a new school single-season record for doubles victories with 21, finishing with a 21-4 record this season.
Helsel was named women's Coach of the Year for the fifth time in eight years as head coach after leading the Blue Jays to a 15-5 record and the squad's fourth conference championship in six years, with a lineup that featured four freshmen. In eight seasons as head coach, Helsel has a 98-33 record.
Swarr was named first-team All-Conference for the third straight year after compiling a 12-10 overall record and a 10-7 mark in dual matches at flight one of singles. Russell is a repeat selection to the first team as she went 13-8 overall and 11-5 in dual matches at flight two. As a doubles team, they went 14-9 overall and had a 13-6 record at flight one.
Swarr finished her career ranked sixth at Elizabethtown in singles wins with 46 and second in doubles victories with 62. Her 108 combined wins are tied for the fourth-most in program history. Russell ranks seventh in career singles victories with 42 and is tied for third on the program's all-time list in doubles victories with 57.
Noecker tied the program single-season record for singles victories after finishing with a 21-4 record, playing primarily at flight six where she won the Middle Atlantic Conference singles championship in the fall. In doubles, Noecker teamed with
Alena Marani for an 18-5 overall record including a 15-4 mark at flight three.
Pipkin played at flight four singles and finished with a 17-7 overall record, including a 13-4 mark in dual matches, while going 21-4 in doubles with Burkhardt.