SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Elon senior men’s tennis athlete Damon Gooch (Gauteng, South Africa/Edenvale) was tabbed the Southern Conference Player of the Week Tuesday morning as announced by the league office and determined by a vote of the conference’s 11 men’s tennis sports information directors.
The first men’s tennis athlete to be crowned SoCon Player of the Week this season, Gooch went 4-3 in his first seven matches this spring – all at No. 1 singles – for the Phoenix. This marks the fifth time in his career that Gooch has received the honor and the 11th time that an Elon men’s tennis athlete has earned the SoCon Player of the Week distinction during the Phoenix’s six years in the league. Elon men’s tennis players have also landed SoCon Athlete of the Month accolades on seven occasions since joining the conference for the 2004 campaign.
Gooch is currently ranked No. 6 in the Mideast Region singles rankings and No. 14 in doubles play with sophomore partner Philip Nemec (Calgary, Alberta/Alberta Distance Learning). Gooch has faced three nationally-ranked players in singles action and five opponents from ranked teams so far this year. His 4-3 start includes victories over the top singles players from Clemson, East Tennessee State, Old Dominion and South Carolina State. Gooch is 6-3 in doubles this spring with a pair of wins over nationally-ranked duos.
One of the most decorated tennis players in Phoenix history, Gooch is a two-year captain, a two-time team MVP, a three-time First Team All-Southern Conference singles and doubles player, a five-time SoCon Player of the Week and a three-time SoCon Athlete of the Month. He advanced to the ITA Mideast Regional Championship semifinals in October, marking the best finish ever in the tournament by an Elon player.
Gooch has been a cornerstone for the Phoenix at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles throughout his career, earning SoCon Freshman of the Year accolades in 2006 and helping his team to a pair of SoCon regular-season titles to go with a SoCon tournament title and an NCAA tournament appearance. He has also appeared on the Academic All-Southern Conference and ITA Scholar-Athlete teams.
Gooch and the Phoenix (3-3) will return to the courts at 1 p.m. Saturday at No. 51 South Carolina. Other top SoCon performers receiving Player of the Week consideration include Appalachian State’s Bobby Lake, The Citadel’s Alberto Diaz, Furman’s Bo Ladyman, Georgia Southern’s Jayraj Jadeja, UNC Greensboro’s Orcun Seyrek and Wofford’s Tinus Van Wyk.
Elon Southern Conference Men’s Tennis Players of the Week
Pramote Malasitt (Feb. 15, 2005)
Pramote Malasitt (Feb. 22, 2005)
Pramote Malasitt (March 9, 2005)
Damon Gooch (March 7, 2006)
Sebastian Bredberg (April 4, 2006)
Damon Gooch (March 8, 2007)
Damon Gooch (March 23, 2007)
Anuwat Dalodom (April 4, 2007)
Damon Gooch (March 13, 2008)
Mason Schermerhorn (March 18, 2008)
Damon Gooch (February 10, 2009)
Elon Southern Conference Men’s Tennis Athletes of the Month
Pramote Malasitt (February 2005)
Damon Gooch (February 2006)
Damon Gooch (April 2006)
Damon Gooch (February 2007)
Anuwat Dalodom (April 2007)
Philip Nemec (January 2008)
Oscar Podlewski (February 2008)
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