Fresno State Athletics
Gloria Honored With Joe Kearney Award
8/4/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Aug. 4, 2009
FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State women's tennis player Melanie Gloria was named the female recipient of the 2008-09 Western Athletic Conference Joe Kearney Award. Gloria is the first-ever women's tennis player to win the award.
Gloria, a senior from Montreal, Quebec, is a four-time WAC Player of the Year and led the Bulldogs to four-consecutive WAC titles. The 2009 ITA Northwest Region Senior Player of the Year, was a third team Academic All-American and was named the Fresno State Bulldog of the Year as a senior. Gloria also made her third appearance at the NCAA Doubles Tournament and received her fourth invite to the NCAA Singles Tournament in 2009.
"I am very proud of Melanie to receive the prestigious Joe Kearney award," Fresno State women's tennis coach Simon Thibodeau said. "Melanie is the first women's tennis student-athlete to receive this award. Her college record and team contributions speak for themselves. She has been a dominant student-athlete in all areas and a great ambassador for Fresno State."
Gloria concluded her career with 123 singles wins, good for second place in school history. She reached No. 1 in the ITA Doubles Rankings in 2008, and earned All-America status in both singles and doubles, becoming only the second two-time All-American singles player in school history. The Bulldogs also advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in all four of her seasons, a program first.
Gloria echoed Thibodeau's sentiments.
"It is an honor to win the Joe Kearney Award," Gloria said. "I really enjoyed my four years as a Fresno State student-athlete. I am very pleased to know that I was the first tennis player to win this acolade. It is also great for Fresno State that this award was won by two Bulldog student-athletes this year."
Fresno State baseball player Tom Mendonca was the 2008-09 male recipient of the award, marking the second time in the award's history Fresno State swept the men's and women's honors.
Other nominees included: Men: Ryan Grinnell, Boise State, Track and Field; Solomon Elimimian, Hawai'i, Football; Mac Hopson, Idaho, Basketball; Antonio Baker, Louisiana Tech, Football; Matt Bowman, Nevada, Baseball; Bryan Marquez, New Mexico State, Baseball; Jarron Gilbert, San Jose State, Football; Gary Wilkinson, Basketball.
Women: Eleni Kafourou, Boise State, Track and Field; Amber Kaufman, Hawai'i, Track and Field/Volleyball; Allix Lee-Painter, Idaho, Cross Country/Track and Field; Amberly Waits, Louisiana Tech, Softball; Brittany Puzey, Nevada, Softball; Krystal Torres, New Mexico State, Volleyball; Erica Moston, San Jose State, Golf; Krista Larson, Utah State, Track and Field.
