CLARKS SUMMIT, Pa. – The North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) has announced its 2015-16 Men’s Tennis NAC West Division* All-Conference selections, which were determined during the individual tournament that was held at the Birchwood Tennis Club in Clarks Summit, Pa. on Saturday and Sunday. 

The individual tournament consisted of the top-four seeded student-athletes for first through sixth singles and first through third doubles.  Each flight saw the No. 1 seed take on the No. 4 seed and the No. 2 seed take on the No. 3 seed. The first-round winners advanced to the championship round, which produced six singles position champions and three doubles position champions, with those student-athletes also making up the All-Conference First Team.  The runners-up from those flights made up the All-Conference Second Team, while the All-Conference Third Team consisted of the winners of each flight from the consolation bracket.  

The NEAC also announced its individual award winners at the conclusion of the tournament Sunday.  Penn State Abington freshman Mohammed Ammouni (Bensalem, Pa.) earned the Player of the Year award for the second straight season after another dominating performance in the tournament.  Entering as the No. 1 seed in first singles, Ammouni defeated Penn College sophomore Benjamin Leibig (Lebanon, Pa.) 6-2, 6-1 in the first round before taking down Penn State Berks senior Drew Weinhold (Denver, Pa.) 6-2, 6-0 in the championship match.  Ammouni, who was also last season’s Rookie of the Year, capped off a tremendous season in which he finished 10-4 as Abington’s No. 1 singles player while earning three NEAC Player of the Week honors.    

After a coaches’ vote, Keuka College freshman Peter Smock (Prattsburgh, N.Y.) was named the Rookie of the Year following an excellent debut campaign for the Wolfpack.  Smock played out of the No. 1 singles and doubles positions during the season for the Wolfpack, qualifying for the individual tournament in both flights behind a 3-2 conference record in first singles and the same mark in first doubles alongside senior teammate Phuoc Mai (Vietnam). 

Penn State Abington’s David Sheaffer also earned his third straight Coach of the Year award after a vote by his peers.  Sheaffer led the Nittany Lions to their third straight NAC West championship after also claiming their second consecutive regular season title with a 5-0 divisional record while going 9-6 overall.  Following the announcement, Sheaffer graciously turned the award over to his assistant coach Glen Seeberger, who is in his final season with the team.   

Full tournament results can be viewed here.

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The North Eastern Athletic Conference has fourteen NCAA Division III member institutions which include: Bryn Athyn College, Cazenovia College, College of St. Elizabeth, Gallaudet University, Keuka College, Lancaster Bible College, Pennsylvania College of Technology, Pennsylvania State University - Abington, Pennsylvania State University - Berks, SUNY Cobleskill, SUNY Morrisville State College, SUNY Polytechnic Institute of Technology, Wells College, and Wilson College.  Associate members are: Cedar Crest College (W Swimming), D’Youville College (M Volleyball), Hilbert College (M Lacrosse & M Volleyball), Medaille College (M&W Lacrosse & M Volleyball), Penn State Altoona (M Volleyball) and Rutgers University - Camden (M Golf).  The North Eastern Athletic Conference has partnered with the North Atlantic Conference in the sports of men’s and women’s tennis.

*Beginning with the 2010 season, the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) has partnered with the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) in the sport of men’s and women’s tennis.  The NEAC will compete as associate members of the NAC in men’s tennis, while the NAC will compete as associate members of the NEAC in women’s tennis.  Members from each conference will be divided into an East and West Division for each sport, with each division holding a championship and the two divisional champions then facing off to determine the conference champion. The conference winner for each sport will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships. 

A complete breakdown of the NEAC/NAC tennis partnership is as follows:

Men's Tennis: NEAC members Bryn Athyn, Keuka, Lancaster Bible, Penn College, Penn State Abington and Penn State Berks will play as associate members of the NAC in a West Division.  The East Division will consist of NAC members Castleton, Colby-Sawyer, Green Mountain, Johnson State, Lyndon State, MCLA and Thomas.

Women's Tennis: NAC members Castleton, Colby-Sawyer, Green Mountain, Johnson State, Lyndon State, MCLA and Thomas will play in the NEAC as associate members in the East Division.  The West Division will consist of NEAC members Bryn Athyn, College of St. Elizabeth, Keuka, Lancaster Bible, Penn College, Penn State Abington, Penn State Berks and Wells.