Hein Named MAC Commonwealth Co-Player Of Year
Posted: 4/30/2009
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Sophomore Jansen Hein, senior Sam Shorts and junior Luke Ruch were all honored by the league Thursday.

Annville, PA — Just two years into his collegiate tennis career, and sophomore Jansen Hein has made quite a name for himself.

The Greenville, Ohio native was named the 2009 MAC Commonwealth Co-Player of the Year Thursday afternoon, just one year removed from being named the league’s rookie of the year.

Hein’s player of the year award was shared with Elizabethtown College’s Manrique Arrea — a freshman that also claimed the 2009 Commonwealth Rookie of the Year honor.

It was another outstanding season for Hein in both singles and doubles play, as the sophomore kept his unbeaten conference record in tact in both singles and doubles play. Hein swept the Commonwealth table as the Falcons’ number one singles player this year, going 5-0 — while handing Arrea a 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 defeat on Apr. 18.

Through two complete seasons of play, Hein boasts a 22-13 overall record in singles play and a 24-11 record in doubles play. He has yet to drop a conference match in either brand of play. Hein’s First Team All-Commonwealth Conference award complements a second-team honor he received last season.

Senior Sam Shorts joined Hein on the First Team All-Commonwealth team, pairing with Hein at the number one doubles position to go 5-0 against league opponents and 14-3 on the year. Operating at the number two singles position all season long, Shorts finished 3-2 in league play.

Junior Luke Ruch rounded out Messiah’s all-conference award winners, being named to the Commonwealth Second Team behind a 3-2 league record at number three singles while teaming with freshman Mike Elliott to post a 4-1 record at the number two doubles position against Commonwealth opponents. Though fighting through an ankle injury early in the season, Ruch came back to play impressive tennis down the homestretch, highlighted by a match-deciding 7-5, 1-6, 6-4 win over Lebanon Valley College’s Tom Neckelmann on Apr. 16.

Lebanon Valley’s Cliff Myers was named Commonwealth Coach of the Year, his fifth such honor. The Dutchmen captured their sixth Commonwealth Championship at last weekend’s tournament and will be making their first NCAA Tournament appearance as a result.

A complete list of the 2009 MAC Commonwealth award winners:

First Team Commonwealth All-Conference
Name — School — Year — Hometown/High School
Manrique Arrea — Elizabethtown — Fr. — San Jose, Costa Rica/Lincoln
Robert Brown — Lycoming — So. — Montoursville, PA/Montoursville
Jansen Hein — Messiah — So. — Greenville, OH/Greenville
Samuel Shorts — Messiah — Sr. — Atascadero, CA/Atascadero
Brok Walker — Elizabethtown — Jr. — Red Lion, PA/Red Lion
Jared Zeigler — Lebanon Valley — Sr. — Quakertown, PA/Quakertown

Second Team Commonwealth All-Conference
Name — School — Year — Hometown/High School
Alex Beattie — Lycoming — So. — Williamsport, PA/Williamsport
Matt Grodzinski — Lebanon Valley — Jr. — Annville, PA/Northern Lebanon
Jeff Kirkhoff — Elizabethtown — Sr. — Duncannon, PA/Susquenita
Kevin Langner — Arcadia — Jr. — Audubon, NJ/Audubon
Tom Neckelmann — Lebanon Valley — So. — Medford Lakes, NJ/Shawnee
Luke Ruch Messiah — Jr. — Hatfield, PA/Christopher Dock

Rookie of the Year: Manrique Arrea, Elizabethtown
Co-Players of the Year: Manrique Arrea, Elizabethtown; Jansen Hein, Messiah
Coach of the Year: Cliff Myers, Lebanon Valley