FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (April 9, 2020) – Greatest team in program history? The numbers most certainly back up the claim for the 2019 Northern Arizona men's tennis team that posted one of the most decorated seasons by any Lumberjack team during their Big Sky Championship run last spring.
The Lumberjacks rode a senior class of five, spearheaded by three-time Big Sky Most Valuable Player
Tim Handel, all the way to the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament bid. In his first season at the helm of the men's team after spending the previous season with the NAU women's tennis team, head coach
Maciej Bogusz guided the 'Jacks to a 22-7 campaign.
School records were set for most wins in a season and longest winning streak at 19 matches as the veteran-laden Lumberjacks dominated their way to a sweep of the regular season and tournament championships. After going a perfect 10-0 in conference play, NAU entered the conference tournament as the No. 1 seed and wound up punching its ticket to the NCAA Tournament with a 4-0 championship victory over Portland State on April 27, 2019.
The 2019 NAU men's tennis team is the second feature in NAU Athletics' month-long Celebration of Champions. Be sure to follow the celebration on
www.nauathletics.com and NAU Athletics on
Facebook,
Twitter and
Instagram.
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"That was an amazing group of young men, who had one goal in mind and did everything on and off the court to accomplish it. We played for the five seniors, who set the tone with their leadership and nothing would stop them. They really understood what it takes to win a championship and that is why the team broke all the records." – Head Coach
Maciej Bogusz
2019 NAU MEN'S TENNIS BY THE NUMBERS
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NAU made history in 2019, becoming the first-ever Lumberjack men's tennis team to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. |
| 22 |
The 'Jacks posted a program-record 22 victories during the 2019 dual season. It was NAU's first 20-win season in program history. |
| 19 |
The Lumberjacks also posted a school-record 19 consecutive victories before bowing out to No. 8 USC in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. NAU's previous longest winning streak was 10 matches during the spring of 1982. |
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NAU went undefeated in conference play, registering a perfect 10-0 record. It marked NAU's first unbeaten conference season. |
| 3 |
Tim Handel capped his career with his third consecutive Big Sky Most Valuable Player honor. He is just one of four players in conference history to be a three-time Big Sky MVP. |
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NAU recorded eight shutouts of opponents, including a pair of 4-0 victories against Idaho State and Portland State in the conference tournament to capture the Big Sky Championship. |
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Tim Handel posted a 21-2 singles record playing the entire spring season at the No. 1 position in NAU's lineup. |
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All six of NAU's primary players received all-conference honors, including Facundo Tumosa, who was voted the Big Sky Freshman of the Year. |
| 3 |
Maciej Bogusz was also voted Big Sky Coach of the Year. Bogusz is the third coach in program history to receive the honor. |
| 13 |
Tim Handel snapped a 13-year conference drought by being an automatic qualifier to the NCAA Singles Championship. The Big Sky had not had a qualifier for the NCAA Singles Championship since 2006. Handel finished the season ranked No. 73 nationally. |
PREVIOUS CELEBRATION OF CHAMPIONS
April 7 –
2019 NAU Women's Tennis
