May 6, 2003

RICHARDSON, Texas - Senior Mitch Aston of conference champion Hardin-Simmons University was named ASC West Men's Tennis MVP while Jimmy Cole, head coach of the Cowboys, received ASC West Coach of the Year honor announced today following voting by the league's head coaches.

A senior, Aston is a three-time ASC All-Conference selection and was also voted ASC West Division Most Valuable Player and First Team All-West for a third year after leading the Cowboys to the league championship. Aston joins junior teammate Brad Grace; juniors Thomas Blalock and Drew Brooks of conference runner-up and East Division champion Mississippi College; senior Kevin Durten of the University of Texas at Dallas; and junior Matt Smith of Schreiner University on the all-conference squad. Durten is a second-year all-conference pick while the other four are first-time award winners.

American Southwest Conference Men's Tennis All-Conference Team 2003

Mitch Aston (Sr.) Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene, Texas

Thomas Blalock (Jr.) Mississippi College, Clinton, Miss.

Drew Brooks (Jr.) Mississippi College, Greenville, Miss.

Kevin Durten (Sr.) University of Texas at Dallas, Plano, Texas

Brad Grace (Jr.) Hardin-Simmons University, Victoria, Texas

Matt Smith (Jr.) Schreiner University, San Angelo, Texas

In addition to announcement of the all-conference teams, the ASC men's tennis coaches also released the East and West Division teams and individual award recipients. In the East Division, Brooks earned Most Valuable Player honors while Thaddaeus Gassie of LeTourneau University was named Freshman of the Year. David Boteler of Mississippi College and Nathan Choate of UT Dallas were named co-Coach of the Year in the East. In addition to Aston's MVP award, other ASC West Division award winners included Matt Hembree of Howard Payne University as Freshman of the Year and sophomore Adam Webb of Schreiner University as Newcomer of the Year. Hardin-Simmons coach Jim Cole was voted West Division Coach of the Year.

AMERICAN SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE 2003 MEN'S TENNIS ALL-WEST DIVISION

All-West Division First Team

Mitch Aston (Sr.) Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene, Texas

Brad Grace (Jr.) Hardin-Simmons University, Victoria, Texas

Matt Hembree (Fr.) Howard Payne University, Odessa, Texas

Mark Plowman (Jr.) Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene, Texas

Matt Smith (Jr.) Schreiner University, San Angelo, Texas

David Wu (Fr.) Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene, Texas

All-West Division Second Team

Rob Anguiano (Jr.) Schreiner University, Corpus Christi, Texas

Greg Crum (Sr.) University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Killeen, Texas

Stephen Harris (So.) Schreiner University, Temple, Texas

Adam O'Neal (Fr.) University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Mesquite, Texas

David Salazar (So.) McMurry University, Brownwood, Texas

Phillip Zavala (Sr.) Schreiner University, San Antonio, Texas

West Division Awards

Most Valuable Player: Mitch Aston (Sr.) Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene, Texas

Freshman of the Year: Matt Hembree (Fr.) Howard Payne University

Newcomer of the Year: Adam Webb (So.) Schreiner University, Dallas, Texas

Coach of the Year: Jim Cole, Hardin-Simmons

AMERICAN SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE 2003 MEN'S TENNIS ALL-EAST DIVISION TEAM, AWARDS

All-East Division First Team

Thomas Blalock (Jr.) Mississippi College, Clinton, Miss.

Drew Brooks (Jr.) Mississippi College, Greenville, Miss.

Adam Caldwell (Sr.) Mississippi College, Lake Charles, La.

Kevin Durten (Sr.) University of Texas at Dallas, Plano, Texas

Trey Griffith (Sr.) Mississippi College, Madison, Miss.

Ryan O'Connor (Jr.) Austin College, San Antonio, Texas

All-East Division Second Team

Taylor Dodds (Sr.) University of the Ozarks, Denton, Texas

Andrew Gannon (Jr.) Austin College, San Antonio, Texas

Drew Livingood (Sr.) LeTourneau University, Stamford, Texas

Zack Schiff (So.) University of the Ozarks, Tulsa, Okla.

Ryan Seaton (Sr.) Mississippi College, Quitman, Miss.

Chris Tallarico (Sr.) Mississippi College, Lancaster, Pa.

East Division Awards

Most Valuable Player: Drew Brooks (Jr.) Mississippi College

Freshman of the Year: Thaddaeus Gassie (Fr.) LeTourneau University, McPherson, Kan.

Co-Coach of the Year: David Boteler, Mississippi College; Nathan Choate, University of Texas at Dallas