INDIANAPOLIS – The Horizon League announced its end of tennis season awards on Thursday afternoon, with two Northern Kentucky players earning honors as Maria Koo and Brandon Ponomarew each received honors by the conference. 
 
Koo, a graduate senior from Lima, Peru, was named to the first team for the second straight season and honored with the Herb Foster Sportsmanship award for the second consecutive year, which is named after the former Wright State coach who exemplified the values of the Horizon League and encouraged student-athletes to compete with sportsmanship. She led the Norse during the 2022 season with an overall singles record of 9-5 and went 3-3 in Horizon League play. She saw singles victories against Thomas More, Dayton, Western Kentucky, Duquesne, Saint Francis, Milwaukee, Oakland and IUPUI. In doubles action Koo posted an overall record of 6-4 with partner Laura Sola Grau. 
 
Ponomarew, a junior from Ontario, Canada, earned himself a second team selection after his efforts during the 2022 season. He was phenomenal on the men's side this season with a singles record of 8-4 overall with a 2-3 record in conference action. He notched wins over Thomas More, Eastern Illinois, Duquesne, Saint Francis, Dayton, Saint Louis, IUPUI and UIC throughout the year as well. Ponomarew posted a doubles record 7-4 during the year with teammates Trevor Ball, Emilien Burnel and Vincent Knott, and 2-2 in Horizon League matches. 

The Norse women and men now look ahead to the Horizon League Championships which are set to being Friday, April 29. NKU women will face No. 3 seeded UIC in the Quarterfinals on Friday in Ann Arbor, Michigan with match time set for 3 p.m. (ET). The Norse men will also face the Flames of UIC who are seeded No. 4 overall and that match will begin at 11 a.m. (ET) on Friday as well. 
 

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2022 Horizon League Men's Tennis Award Winners
Player of the Year: Laurentiu Mandocescu, Youngstown State
Freshman of the Year: Clement Mainguy, Youngstown State
Herb Foster Sportsmanship Award: Erik Gran, Youngstown State
Coach of the Year: Ulises Hernandez, Youngstown State
 
All-Horizon League First Team (alphabetical by school)
Mikael Erler, Cleveland State
Maxime Mareschal-Hay, Cleveland State
Alex Jochim, IUPUI
Harry Fouzas, Youngstown State
Clement Mainguy, Youngstown State
Laurentiu Mandocescu, Youngstown State
 
All-Horizon League Second Team (alphabetical by school)
Clark Bilinovich, Cleveland State
Kade Mindry, Cleveland State
Sean Bailey, IUPUI
Kamil Kozerski, IUPUI
Brandon Ponomarew, Northern Kentucky
Pelle Strandberg, UIC
 
2022 Horizon League Women's Tennis Award Winners
Player of the Year: Agnes Gustafsson, UIC
Co-Freshman of the Year: Oihane Vicario, Cleveland State and Liza Mladentseva, Oakland
Herb Foster Sportsmanship Award: Maria Koo, Northern Kentucky 
Coach of the Year: Frank Polito, Cleveland State
 
All-Horizon League First Team (alphabetical by school)
Oihane Vicario, Cleveland State
Mayya Perova, Milwaukee
Maria Koo, Northern Kentucky
Liza Mladentseva, Oakland
Agnes Gustafsson, UIC
Cecilia Rosas, Youngstown State
 
All-Horizon League Second Team (alphabetical by school)
Sima Heren, Cleveland State
Klara Mrcela, Cleveland State
Ana Jover, UIC
Tamara Malazonia, UIC
Julia Marko, Youngstown State
Eliska Masarikova, Youngstown State
 

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