University of Delaware Athletics
Photo by: Mikey Reeves
Three Blue Hens Earn All-CAA Honors
5/10/2022 2:02:00 PM | Men's Tennis
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware men's tennis team earned a trio of All-CAA honors when the conference announced its postseason awards on Tuesday. Senior James Wilkinson was named to the All-CAA First Team in singles, while he and graduate student Pierce Gilheany were named to the first team as a doubles team. Additionally, graduate student Pascal Wagemaker was named to the All-CAA Second Team in singles. The all-conference teams were selected by a vote of the league's head coaches.
"This is a nice honor for our players," said Director of Tennis Pablo Montana. "James had his best year since he has been here with the program and I am proud of him for all that he has overcome to get where he is at. He has put in the work with extra hours of individual practices, both on and off the court. In doubles, James and Pierce had great chemistry from the start and I knew this was going to be a solid partnership once we were able to get them in a groove with matches. Pascal was our Mr. Consistency and he was a rock for us all year."
Wilkinson earns his second-straight All-CAA nod and his first selection to the first after completing one of the best singles seasons in program history, finishing with a 24-11 overall record and a 14-7 mark in dual matches. The Hertfordshire, England native went 10-4 during the fall tournament season before playing at the No. 1 position in every dual match that he played for the Blue Hens. He went 4-1 in matches against CAA opponents, including defeating the No. 1 from Drexel twice in one week, helping seal UD's first-ever quarterfinal victory in the CAA Championship. Wilkinson closed the season having won eight of his final 10 matches and, overall, his 24 singles wins are the second most in Delaware history.
Wilkinson and Gilheany both receive their first All-CAA selection in doubles as they went 13-6 as a duo, including a 10-6 record as UD's top pairing in dual matches. They opened the season with a 3-0 showing at the Joe Hunt Invite, and then were reunited again in the spring and played the final 16 matches of the season together, helping Delaware put together a 10-match winning streak that carried the program to its first-ever appearance in the CAA Championship Semifinals. Wilkinson and Gilheany went 4-0 against conference opponents in regular-season play before helping clinch the doubles point in the semifinals against UNCW.
Wagemaker earns his first All-CAA honor in his first year as a Blue Hen after posting a 19-12 record on the season, including a 13-6 mark in dual matches. The Zuid-Scharwoude, Netherlands native went 3-1 against CAA opponents in the regular season and won eight of his final 10 decisions in the regular season. Wagemaker was a force at the top of the lineup for the Blue Hens, going 1-0 at No. 1, 8-4 at No. 2 and 4-2 at No. 3 throughout the season. No stranger to tight contests, the graduate student went 5-2 in three-set matches on the season and had an 8-4 record in sets that went to tiebreakers.
The men's tennis team had a historic 2021-22 season, putting together a 15-9 overall record that saw them make their first-ever appearance in the CAA Semifinals. Delaware enjoyed a 10-game winning streak, winning its last nine regular-season matches as well as its quarterfinal victory over Drexel.
For the latest on the Delaware men's tennis program, follow the Blue Hens on Twitter @DelawareMTEN and Instagram @DelawareMTen.
"This is a nice honor for our players," said Director of Tennis Pablo Montana. "James had his best year since he has been here with the program and I am proud of him for all that he has overcome to get where he is at. He has put in the work with extra hours of individual practices, both on and off the court. In doubles, James and Pierce had great chemistry from the start and I knew this was going to be a solid partnership once we were able to get them in a groove with matches. Pascal was our Mr. Consistency and he was a rock for us all year."
Wilkinson earns his second-straight All-CAA nod and his first selection to the first after completing one of the best singles seasons in program history, finishing with a 24-11 overall record and a 14-7 mark in dual matches. The Hertfordshire, England native went 10-4 during the fall tournament season before playing at the No. 1 position in every dual match that he played for the Blue Hens. He went 4-1 in matches against CAA opponents, including defeating the No. 1 from Drexel twice in one week, helping seal UD's first-ever quarterfinal victory in the CAA Championship. Wilkinson closed the season having won eight of his final 10 matches and, overall, his 24 singles wins are the second most in Delaware history.
Wilkinson and Gilheany both receive their first All-CAA selection in doubles as they went 13-6 as a duo, including a 10-6 record as UD's top pairing in dual matches. They opened the season with a 3-0 showing at the Joe Hunt Invite, and then were reunited again in the spring and played the final 16 matches of the season together, helping Delaware put together a 10-match winning streak that carried the program to its first-ever appearance in the CAA Championship Semifinals. Wilkinson and Gilheany went 4-0 against conference opponents in regular-season play before helping clinch the doubles point in the semifinals against UNCW.
Wagemaker earns his first All-CAA honor in his first year as a Blue Hen after posting a 19-12 record on the season, including a 13-6 mark in dual matches. The Zuid-Scharwoude, Netherlands native went 3-1 against CAA opponents in the regular season and won eight of his final 10 decisions in the regular season. Wagemaker was a force at the top of the lineup for the Blue Hens, going 1-0 at No. 1, 8-4 at No. 2 and 4-2 at No. 3 throughout the season. No stranger to tight contests, the graduate student went 5-2 in three-set matches on the season and had an 8-4 record in sets that went to tiebreakers.
The men's tennis team had a historic 2021-22 season, putting together a 15-9 overall record that saw them make their first-ever appearance in the CAA Semifinals. Delaware enjoyed a 10-game winning streak, winning its last nine regular-season matches as well as its quarterfinal victory over Drexel.
For the latest on the Delaware men's tennis program, follow the Blue Hens on Twitter @DelawareMTEN and Instagram @DelawareMTen.
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