Men’s & Women’s Tennis Athletes of the Week (April 18)

4.19.18

INDIANAPOLIS – With both regular-season titles sewn up, Hillsdale swept the final presentation of Great Midwest Athletic Conference Men’s & Women’s Tennis Athletes of the Week awards.
 
The Chargers are going into the Great Midwest Tennis Championships in Owensboro, Ky., as the top seeds in each four-team bracket.
 
Hillsdale will be facing No. 4 Davis & Elkins in the opening round contest for the men’s side while No. 2 Findlay faces No. 3 Walsh. In the women’s competition, Hillsdale draws No. 4 Findlay while No. 3 Davis & Elkins clashes with No. 2 Walsh.
 
Kentucky Wesleyan will be serving as host for the two-day event, which features a pair of semifinal matchups on Friday and each respective championship final on Saturday.
 
Men’s Athlete of the Week
Milan Mirkovic
Hillsdale
Sophomore
Split, Croatia (High School of Chemistry and Ecology)
 
Mirkovic strengthened his candidacy for player of the year honors in the conference with his third athlete of the week award.
 
In helping his team clinch the 2018 regular season championship, Mirkovic went 4-0 last week, earning wins over Findlay and Walsh from his spots at No. 1 singles and No. 3 doubles. He dropped just five games in two singles wins over the weekend, and teamed up with Julien Clouette for wins of 8-1 and 8-7 in the doubles flight.
 
He enters postseason play with a cumulative 2017-18 record of 22-9 when singles and doubles matches are combined. 
 
Women’s Athlete of the Week
Katie Bell
Hillsdale
Sophomore
Carlisle, Cumbra, England (Queen Elizabeth Grammar School)
 
Bell rings in the regular season with the final weekly award, her second of the 2017-18 campaign after also earning the first honor back in the fall.
 
Bell stepped up in the regular season's final week, picking up wins over Walsh and Findlay that helped Hillsdale win its first conference title in women's tennis in 35 years. She lost just seven games in two singles wins over the Cavs and Oilers, while teaming up with Corinne Prost for wins of 8-5 and 8-1 in doubles action.
 
This weekend, Bell and the Chargers head into the G-MAC Tournament as the #1 seed and will seek their first-ever conference tournament championship.