Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell's Iepuras, Zimmer Collect All-Patriot League Tennis Honors
5/8/2012 8:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
May 8, 2012
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell's Dumitrita Iepuras (Chisinau, Moldova/Germantown Friends School) and Evan Zimmer (Essex Fells, N.J./West Essex) were both cited as All-Patriot League performers in the first wave of postseason tennis awards, the league announced on Tuesday. Iepuras was selected First Team All-Patriot League for the first time in her career, while Zimmer earned his second consecutive nod to the men's second team.
While the first-team selection is a first for Iepuras, the senior is no stranger to accolades. A former Patriot League Rookie of the Year, she was also a second-team selection twice earlier in her career. As a senior, Iepuras went 12-14 in singles, tying her for the team lead in victories. She also finished with a 9-16 mark in doubles. As the No. 1 singles player for the Bison, Iepuras went 3-2 in Patriot League matches. Iepuras is the only senior to be named an All-Patriot League player this season.
Iepuras finishes her career in the Orange & Blue as one of the winningest players in program history. She is tied for sixth in all-time singles wins (73-46) and ranks 12th in doubles victories (44-48). One of only players in Bucknell annals to register at least 100 wins, Iepuras is also eighth in career combined victories (117-94).
With Iepuras' award, Bucknell women's tennis has had at least one player named to the league's first team in each of the last nine years.
Zimmer put together one of the most successful seasons in men's program history on the way to earning his second straight nod to the second team. The junior, whose season is not yet over, has already broken the single-season wins mark in doubles with a record of 31-6. Zimmer was 10-2 at No. 1 doubles and 11-1 at No. 2 this spring, a stretch that included an undefeated streak in regular-season Patriot League play.
Later this month, Zimmer and doubles partner Gregg Cohenca (Purchase, N.Y./Rye Country Day School) will become the first Bison in program history to make an individual appearance at the NCAA Championships. Since ranking in the top 60 nationally and receiving the Patriot League's automatic bid to the tournament, the duo will compete in doubles competition May 23-28 in Athens, Ga.
In singles play, Zimmer finished the year with a 19-13 record. The captain's greatest success came at the No. 2 slot where he went 7-9 this spring.
Zimmer currently ranks in the top 25 in program history in singles, doubles and combined victories. He is now 16th in singles (46-27), eighth in doubles (56-25) and tied for 10th in combined (102-52) wins. With his honor on Tuesday, he becomes the first Bison on the men's side to earn back-to-back all-league citations since Ira Reibeisen was named to the first team three consecutive seasons from 2006-08.
The Patriot League will continue to honor its tennis student-athletes tomorrow when it names the Academic All-Patriot League squads.
Women's Tennis All-Patriot League
First Team
Dumitrita Iepuras, Bucknell, Sr.
Erin Colton, Army, Jr.
Emani Decquir, Navy, Jr.
Margaret Iliev, Army, So.
Jamila Paul, Army, So.
Darien Sears, Navy, So.
Second Team
Stefanie Ton, Navy, Jr.
Jenai Bilmoria, Lehigh, So.
Alex Petrini, Colgate, So.
Erin Snook, Navy, So.
Della Taylor, Army, So.
Natalie Allen, Army, Fr.
Player of the Year – Jamila Paul, Army, So.
Rookie of the Year – Natalie Allen, Army, Fr.
Coach of the Year – Paul Peck, Army
Men's Tennis All-Patriot League
First Team^
Marcus Rebersak, Navy, Sr.
Luke Gensburg, Colgate, So.
Mark Goldberg, Lehigh, So.
Asika Isoh, Army, So.
Ben Gilman, Lehigh, Fr.
Calvin Mark, Navy, Fr.
Peter McDonald, Navy, Fr.
Alex Van Velzer, Army, Fr.
^ - First Team features eight student-athletes because of a tie in the voting. Normal size is six.
Second Team
Doug Gallagher, Lafayette, Sr.
Evan Zimmer, Bucknell, Jr.
Mitchell Peterson, Lehigh, Fr.
Peter Sienko, Army, Fr.
Player of the Year – Asika Isoh, Army, So.
Rookie of the Year – Calvin Mark, Navy, Fr.
Coach of the Year – John Officer, Navy
