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ODU's Gtari Named "Freshman of the Year," NU's Colestock Tabbed "Coach of the Year"

BAY CITY, Mich. — Northwood University junior Jean Menard (Ambroise, France) has earned the 2013 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Men's Tennis "Athlete of the Year" award as announced by the conference office. Ohio Dominican rookie Walid Gtari (Tunis, Tunisia/Pierre Mendes France) was named the conference's "Freshman of the Year" while Northwood head coach Zane Colestock was tabbed as the GLIAC "Coach of the Year".

Menard led Northwood it its 19th consecutive GLIAC Championship this season, playing at No. 1 singles and doubles for the Timberwolves.  He went a combined 22-2 overall in GLIAC play, posting a 12-1 mark in singles and a 10-1 record in doubles.  Overall for the spring season, Menard was 25-4 for Northwood (12-1 singles, 13-3 doubles).  For his career, Menard has gone 81-18 (.818) in dual matches for the Timberwolves.  Northwood has now claimed the GLIAC "Player of the Year" award seven consecutive seasons, with four different athletes earning the honor in that stretch. 

Gtari helped lead the Panthers to a third-place showing in the conference tournament, their best finish since joining the conference, by winning all six of his singles and doubles matches. He finished with a 26-5 record in singles play, including an 18-4 mark at No. 1 singles, and went 10-1 in his 11 GLIAC regular season singles matches. He won each of his last 13 singles matches. Gtari was also a part of 13 doubles wins as well, including nine wins at No. 1. He and classmate Justin Tjon went 7-1 in GLIAC doubles matches at the top of the lineup and overall won nine straight doubles matches to close the season.

Colestock has now earned GLIAC Men's Tennis "Coach of the Year" 12 times in his distinguished career.  This season, he guided the Timberwolves to their 19th consecutive GLIAC Championship and their 13th GLIAC Tournament title in the last 14 years. Northwood posted an 11-0 record in the GLIAC and then posted three more victories in the GLIAC Tournament.  Now in his 38th season as the head coach of the Timberwolves Colestock's career record stands at 558-149 (.794).

Joining Menard and Gtari on the 2013 All-GLIAC First Team are: junior Andrew Darrell of Grand Valley State University; freshman Liam Goldsberg of Lake Erie College, sophomore Laurent Galarneau and junior Sergiu Laza of Ferris State University, junior Pedro Nunes of Lake Superior State University,  senior Marcus Oliveira of Northwood University and freshman Felipe dos Santos of Michigan Technological University.

A complete list of the 2013 All-GLIAC Men's Tennis teams is below: