RICHARDSON, Texas –
Thomas Cardona and
Tomas Almeida led the way as three Aggies were recognized when the Lone Star Conference announced the end of the year men's tennis honors on Wednesday.
Thomas Cardona, who was just named the Cameron Athletics' Male Athlete of the Year on Monday, was selected as the league's Freshman of the Year while Almeida claimed the Newcomer of the Year honor.
Cardona is the fifth Aggie all-time to win the honor, joining Dennis Merdan (2013), Nicolai Ferrigno (2012), Santiago Romero (2011), Jorge Gerosi (2010), and Ivor Hitrec (2004). Almeida is one of three Aggies to be the top newcomer in the LSC with
Przemyslaw Zielinski (2018) and Daniel Pazos (2008) also winning.
Cardona, who is from Medellin, Columbia, was also named All-LSC first team in singles and second team in doubles. He is 16-2 this spring, playing most of those matches at No. 2, and went a perfect 7-0 in league matches, including one ranked win. He is currently ranked No. 22 in the ITA singles rankings.
Almeida, a sophomore from Vila Nova De Gaia, Portugal, matched his teammate with a first team All-LSC selection in singles and a second team honor in doubles, as the two are partnered together. Almeida is 13-6 this spring with a 10-5 mark playing at No. 1. He was also 6-1 in LSC matches, including a 3-set win over the LSC Player of the Year Alex Martinez Roca from MSU. Almeida was also named to the LSC's Sportsmanship Team.
As a doubles duo, Cardona and Almeida are 15-4 this spring which includes a 6-1 record in league play with their only loss coming against the second ranked duo in the nation, Martinez Roca and Ben Westwick from MSU.
Additionally,
Carlos Vidal was named honorable mention in singles play as he was 6-1 in LSC play this spring to go along with a 10-9 overall record, including an 8-4 mark playing at No. 3.
Cameron enters the LSC Tournament with a 12-7 record, earning the 3-seed with a 5-2 mark against league opponents this spring. They face Western New Mexico, the 6-seed who the beat 6-1 this season, in the Thursday's quarterfinals at noon in Arlington, Texas.
If the Aggies repeat history and beat WNMU on Thursday, they will take on the winner of the UT Tyler and UT Permian Basin match in the semifinal on Friday at 1 p.m. The LSC Championship final is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Arlington Tennis Center.
