HCAC ALL-CONFERENCE WOMENS TENNIS

GREENWOOD, IN - Transylvania University's Claire Mielcarek (Lexington,
Ky./Henry Clay) has been named the 2012 Heartland Collegiate Athletic
Conference women's tennis Most Valuable Player and Freshman of the Year.
Mielcarek joins Rose-Hulman's Sam Danesis as the only players in HCAC
women's tennis history to earn both awards in the same season.



Mielcarek completed her freshman season with an overall dual match record of
19-0, while finishing the conference season with a 16-0 mark.  Mielcarek
finished 9-0, 8-0 HCAC at No. 1 singles and 10-0, 8-0 HCAC at No. 1 doubles
this fall. She posted a 1-0 mark at No. 1 singles and 2-0 record at No. 1
doubles during the HCAC tournament this past weekend.



Thirteen other players join Mielcarek on the All-HCAC first team, including
two other freshman, one sophomore, six juniors, and four seniors. Anderson's
Courtney Postmus (Kalamazoo, Mich.), Earlham's Olivia Engle (Richmond, Ind.)
and Claire Welsh (Ann Arbor, Mich.), Franklin's Heather Pasek (Villa Hills,
Ky.), Melissa Sanders (Columbus, Ind.), Bethany Harris (Avon, Ind.), and
Adrian Gillaspy (Spencer, Ind.), Hanover's Danielle Miller (Fairway, Kan.),
Manchester's Kara Gilley (Plymouth, Ind.), Rose-Hulman's Marie Stettler
(Edgerton, Wis.), Melissa Montgomery (Alexandria, Ind.), and Paige Cook
(Terre Haute, Ind.), and Transylvania's Kaitlin Hizny (Owensboro, Ky.) have
been named to this year's team.



Also receiving special recognition this season is Franklin head coach Rusty
Hughes. Hughes led the Grizzlies to the conference title (8-0 HCAC) and the
HCAC tournament championship, earning the school's first NCAA Division III
women's tennis tournament berth.  The award is Hughes' fourth honor as
women's tennis coach at Franklin.



All-HCAC


Name

Year

School

Hometown/H.S.


Courtney Postmus

Junior

Anderson

Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Christian


Olivia Engle

Junior

Earlham

Richmond, Ind./H.S.


Claire Welsh

Freshman

Earlham

Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer


Heather Pasek

Senior

Franklin

Villa Hills, Ky./Notre Dame Academy


Melissa Sanders

Freshman

Franklin

Columbus, Ind./North


Bethany Harris

Sophomore

Franklin

Avon, Ind./H.S.


Adrian Gillaspy

Senior

Franklin

Spencer, Ind./Owen Valley


Danielle Miller

Junior

Hanover

Fairway, Kan./Shawnee Mission East


Kara Gilley

Junior

Manchester

Plymouth, Ind./H.S.


Marie Stettler

Junior

Rose-Hulman

Edgerton, Wis./Edgerton Senior


Melissa Montgomery

Senior

Rose-Hulman

Alexandria, Ind./Monroe


Paige Cook

Junior

Rose-Hulman

Terre Haute, Ind./North


Claire Mielcarek

Freshman

Transylvania

Lexington, Ky./Henry Clay


Kaitlin Hizny

Senior

Transylvania

Owensboro, Ky./Daviess Co.

Honorable Mention All-HCAC


Name

Year

School

Hometown/H.S.


Sylvia Schering

Sophomore

Anderson

Kalamazoo, Ind./Christian


Tara Akers

Senior

Anderson

Warsaw, Ind./H.S.


Ashlan Millikan

Sophomore

Anderson

New Castle, Ind./H.S.


Caitlin Nearhood

Sophomore

Bluffton

Clyde, Ohio/H.S.


Kirsten Wieland

Junior

Defiance

Bryan, Ohio/H.S.


Rain Tuley

Senior

Franklin

Edinburgh, Ind./Southwestern


Chelsea Howell

Freshman

Franklin

West Harrison, Ind./Franklin Co.


Alexis Taylor

Freshman

Hanover

Frankfort, Ind./H.S.


Kelsey Jones

Sophomore

Hanover

Hanover, Ind./Southwestern


Brandy Leeper

Junior

Manchester

Bremen, Ind./H.S.


Kylie McCollum

Sophomore

Rose-Hulman

Lee's Summit, Mo./West


Lauren Miller

Freshman

Rose-Hulman

Highland, Ill./H.S.


Megan Dixon

Freshman

Transylvania

Ocala, Fla./Forest


Caroline Tapscott

Senior

Transylvania

Franklin, Tenn./H.S.

All-Sportsmanship Team


Name

Year

School

Hometown/H.S.


Courtney Postmus

Junior

Anderson

Kalamazoo, Mich./Christian


Caitlin Nearhood

Sophomore

Bluffton

Clyde, Ohio/H.S.


Catie Savage

Junior

Defiance

Wauseon, Ohio/H.S.


Maya Cooper

Sophomore

Earlham

Indianapolis, Ind./North Central


Chelsea Platt

Freshman

Franklin

Shelbyville, Ind./Morristown


Kim Fong

Senior

Hanover

Nashville, Ind./Brown Co.


Alli Heeter

Senior

Manchester

Nappanee, Ind./Northwood


Melissa Montgomery

Senior

Rose-Hulman

Alexandria, Ind./Monroe


Caroline Tapscott

Senior

Transylvania

Franklin, Tenn./H.S.

Most Valuable Player: Claire Mielcarek, Transylvania University
Freshman of the Year: Claire Mielcarek, Transylvania University
Coach of the Year:  Rusty Hughes, Franklin College