IRVING – Ahead of the NCAA tournament on Friday, the Big 12 Conference announced the year-end awards, which were highlighted by Sun Devil Men’s Tennis sophomore Ofek Shimanov, who was tabbed Co-Newcomer of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Big 12 First Team Singles.
The sophomore was one of six transfers for the Sun Devils and joined the team after spending one season at SMU. To be eligible for the Newcomer of the Year award, a student-athlete must be in their first season with the institution and first season in the Big 12 Conference.
Shimanov opened the season competing from the second and third singles positions with an undefeated 6-0 record in the first seven matches. In this span, he defeated Princeton’s 98-ranked Fnu Nidunjianzan and had four straight-set wins.
In March, when ASU faced No. 2 TCU, he nearly toppled No. 7 Duncan Chan (4-6, 6-2, 5-2), though the match was abandoned after ASU lost.
He enters the NCAA Tournament with a 9-6 singles record and has taken over the No. 1 spot for the Sun Devils.
Shimanov has seen five doubles partners en route to his 10-9 doubles record. To open doubles play, Shimanov was playing from the first position and opened the year with a six-match win streak.
Coming from SMU, he’s ASU’s first major award in the Big 12’s year-end awards after Bor Artnak received a spot on the All-Big 12 First Team Singles.