BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- Ouachita Baptist again has proved to be among the best in the Gulf South Conference in Men’s Tennis, as Coach Craig Ward earned GSC West Division Coach of the Decade honors, while former Ouachita Tiger Ondrej Vana was named GSC West Division Player of the Decade, officials announced on Thursday.
Joining Vana on the GSC Men’s Tennis All-Decade West Division First Team are former players Gilles Lagardere and Andre Edwall and junior Jan Plewinski. Former player Daniel Vejman earned Honorable Mention honors, due to just one season in the GSC.
Ward just finished his 20th season at Ouachita, and has guided the program to becoming one of the more dominant in Division II. The 2009 GSC Coach of the Year has led Ouachita to 10 GSC West Division titles this decade and four GSC Tournament finals. Ward has also guided the Tigers to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances, led by a National Semi-Final berth in 2005. In his tenure on campus, Ward has guided Ouachita to a 73 percent winning percentage overall, while also earning Intercollegiate National Coach of the Year honors in coaching 24 All-Americans in his career.
Vana excelled at the No. 1 singles and doubles position for the Tigers from 2005-2008, earning All-American honors for three seasons. Vana was named GSC Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons in 2007 and 2008, while being named to the All-GSC three times and finishing his career with a 53-27 singles record and 68-20 doubles mark.
Lagardere was a three-time All-GSC First Team selection, while also earning 2002 GSC Player of the Year honors, while former teammate Andre Edwall also earned All-GSC First Team honors three times and was a two-time GSC All-Academic selection twice. Plewinski continues to excel for the Tigers, earning 2009 GSC Player of the Year honors and has been named to the GSC First Team in three different seasons. While Vejman was a two-time All-American member and All-GSC First Team selection in 2001 for Ouachita, only one season was under the membership of the conference.
Ouachita Baptist also earned honors as the No. 3 ranked team in the ‘Top Five Teams of the Decade’ list, behind overall GSC Team of the Decade Valdosta State and West Florida.
