FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
S-41-06-07
Thursday, October 19, 2006

Three Elizabethtown Players Named to All-Commonwealth Conference Teams in Women’s Tennis; Stacy Shapiro Player of the Year; Emily Swarr Rookie of the Year; Matt Helsel Coach of the Year

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Three Elizabethtown College women’s tennis players have been named to the All-Commonwealth Conference teams for the fall 2006 season. Senior Stacy Shapiro (Audubon, PA/Methacton) made the First Team, and senior Heather Lander (Accident, MD/Northern Garrett) and first-year student Emily Swarr (Manheim, PA/Manheim Central) made the Second Team. Additionally, Shapiro was named the Commonwealth Conference Player of the Year, Swarr was named the conference’s Rookie of the Year, and Etown head coach Matt Helsel was named the conference’s Coach of the Year.

Thus far this season, Shaprio is 10-3 in singles, 4-1 at number one and 5-1 at number two in dual matches, and she is 12-5 in doubles, 9-3 at number one and 1-0 at number two in dual matches. Thus far in 2006-07, she has a combined 22-8 record. In her career, she is 47-22 in singles, 48-25 in doubles, and 95-47 combined. Shapiro has earned a spot on the All-Commonwealth Conference First Team every year of her collegiate career, making her the first Blue Jay to accomplish the feat. She was also the conference’s Rookie of the Year in 2003, and she won the Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Corporation (MASCAC) championship at number one doubles in 2004.

Lander is currently 11-2 in singles, 10-1 at number six in dual matches, and she is 13-2 in doubles, 1-0 at number two and 10-1 at number three in dual matches, in the fall 2006 season. Thus far, she has a combined 24-4 record in 2006-07, and she has been named the conference’s Player of the Week twice this season. She is the Elizabethtown career record holder in singles wins and combined victories. Lander’s career mark in singles is 60-7; her career record in doubles is 56-13, and her combined career record is 116-20. This is her first appearance on the All-Commonwealth Conference teams. Lander won the MASCAC championship at number five singles in both 2004 and 2005, and she won the MASCAC title at number three doubles in 2005. She also holds the Elizabethtown records for most singles wins in a year, 21, most doubles wins in a year, 20, and most combined wins in a year, 41, all set in 2005-06.

Swarr is currently 10-3 in singles, 9-2 at number three in dual matches, and 12-2 in doubles, 11-1 at number two in dual matches, in her rookie year. Her combined record in 2006-07 currently stands at 22-5. She is only the second Etown player ever to receive the Commonwealth Conference’s Rookie of the Year award.

Helsel has now earned the conference Coach of the Year award in women’s tennis for the second time in his career, having also been named Coach of the Year in 2004. Also the head coach of the Elizabethtown College men’s tennis team, he was named the Coach of the Year in men’s tennis in 2005 as well.

Elizabethtown returns to action today in a non-conference match on the road against Goucher College at 3:30 p.m. After that, the Blue Jays will compete as individual entries at the 2006 MASCAC Championships Saturday and Sunday, and Etown will complete its Commonwealth Conference championship match at home against Moravian College Tuesday, October 24 at 2:00 p.m. The Blue Jays are currently 12-1 overall in dual matches, and the team had a 6-0 record in the Commonwealth Conference regular season.