By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – More than 15 years have passed since the Tennessee Tech athletics family lost a treasured member, as well as one of the most dedicated and inspirational fans the Golden Eagles have ever known. But the memory of TTU Sports of Hall Famer Johnny Donnelly continues to live on each and every year, most notably with the honor presented in his name each season to a member of the Tech tennis team.
For the 15th time, the Donnelly Maverick Award – which was established in 1999 by John and Marty Donnelly in memory of their late son – was presented to a most fitting recipient. Awarded annually to Golden Eagle tennis player that demonstrates an elite level of determination, the 2016 honor was presented to sophomore Marcos Bernardes recently at the tennis team's annual awards picnic.
"We were very pleased to present Marcos with Johnny's Maverick Award this season for the determination he showed in helping TTU claim the OVC Championship," John Donnelly explained. "Each time we present this honor, it is truly special, but with this being the 15th anniversary of the first award, there was just a little more emotion and excitement from our end. We know Johnny would be quite proud of this selection!"
A spring addition to the Golden Eagle roster, Bernardes provided a big spark to the lineup while playing primarily in the No. 4 and No. 5 singles, as well as the No. 2 doubles, roles. The youngster's impact was immediate and impressive, as he accumulated a 14-4 mark in dual matches, including a remarkable 8-1 showing in Ohio Valley Conference play.
In his doubles roles, he teamed fellow sophomore Eduardo Mena to go 7-4 in the spring and 4-0 in the partners' league matches while helping lead Tech to the league's regular season title.
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Pictured above, from left to right: Head coach Kenny Doyle, team MVP Eduardo Pictured top right, from left to right: Marty Donnelly, Maverick Award winner |
All the success aside, it was the first year Golden Eagle's clutch play in the OVC Tournament that led to the Brasilia, Brazil native's selection as this year's Donnelly Maverick Award winner. With his team squared away at 3-3 against Eastern Kentucky in the league's championship match, Bernardes rallied from a 6-2 defeat in the first set and a deficit in the second set to claim a 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory to clinch Tech's first OVC Tournament title and berth to the NCAA Tournament since 2006.
Already the OVC's Player of the Year following a historic season, Mena's MVP distinction came as little surprise after the Bultrago del Lozoya, Spain native steamrolled his way through the spring, posting a 20-1 singles record and an undefeated, 9-0, mark in conference action. Dating back to the fall, he won an eye-popping 33 singles matches, the most ever in program history, surpassing Gernot Fischer (2002) and Ken Large (1996), each of whom claimed 29 singles nods.
Mena, last year's OVC Freshman of the Year recipient, finished the 2015-16 season on a 14-match heater while claiming both singles matches in the OVC Tournament. He then led the nation's No. 1 ranked player, No. 5 Ohio State's Mikael Torpegaard, in the Golden Eagles' first-round match-up in the NCAA Tournament. His battle with the country's top player did not finish, however, as the match was officially called in favor of the Buckeyes with Mena leading 7-6 (7-5), 3-2.
Photos by Madison Hill, TTU Tennis
