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Tibil and Shkodnik Honored by ITA
5/13/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
BUFFALO, NY - The Intercollegiate Tennis Association announced its 2014 awards Tuesday, with two members of the UB men's tennis program honored for the work on and off the court. Graduating senior Yevgeniy Jason Shkodnik was honored with the Northeast Region's ITA/Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sportsmanship & Leadership Award, while assistant coach George Tibil was named the ITA Northeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year.
"Our goal as a program has always been to surround ourselves with the best character and hardest-working coaches and athletes possible," head coach Lee Nickell said. "These are very significant awards for both George and Yevgeniy."
As one of just two seniors on a young but talented team, Shkodnik was a mentor and coach that helped the team reach new heights in 2014. Personally, he won three singles matches and three doubles matches while helping the team earn its first-ever national ranking.
"Arthur Ashe was one of the greatest humanitarians of our lifetime, and I know that Yevgeniy understands the honor of receiving this award," Nickell said of his captain. "Yevgeniy is one of the most selfless individuals I have met, and he is respected by all of the coaches and athletes in the region. Yevgeniy's focus on sportsmanship and community service deserves to be recognized and I know that he represents everything that Arthur Ashe stood for as a humanitarian."
Tibil just finished his second season as an assistant coach after his playing career in the Blue and White was over. He has quickly emerged as one of the top young assistant coaches in the nation.
"George has given so much to this program over his time here, and has sacrificed so much these last two years to be our Assistant Coach," said Nickell. "His hard work, values and coaching ability have been a model for both the student athletes and myself. I truly believe he is the best assistant coach in the nation, and I hope that this award helps further his career as a college tennis coach."
The Bulls finished the 2014 season with 12 wins and a loss in the Mid-American Conference tournament final.
