BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced the 2023-24 MIAC Men's Tennis Awards on Tuesday.
Gustavus junior Marco Siviero was the recipient of the MIAC Men’s Tennis Singles Player of the Year award, while the Gustavus sophomore duo of Gage Gohl and Tyler Haddorff received the conference’s Doubles Team of the Year honor. Bethel first-year Carter Sheard was named the Men’s Tennis Rookie of the Year and St. Scholastica head coach Wells Patten was named the Steve Wilkinson Head Coach of the Year for men’s tennis.
Carleton senior Yuv Kataria was also selected as the 2024 MIAC Arthur Ashe Award winner. The award annually recognizes a senior men's tennis student-athlete who exhibits outstanding sportsmanship and exemplary athletic, academic, and humanitarian accomplishments.
Siviero (Sao Miguel de Oeste, Brazil | Goliath Academy) was named the MIAC Singles Player of the Year after going undefeated in conference play and collecting 14 singles wins overall, with 10 victories coming at No. 1 singles.
Gohl (Sioux Falls, S.D. | Lincoln) and Haddorff (Burnsville, Minn.) received Doubles Team of the Year honors after posting a 21-6 record overall and an undefeated mark in conference action.
Sheard (Maple Grove, Minn.) was selected as the MIAC Rookie of the Year for men’s tennis after going 5-2 at top singles in conference matches for the Royals. He was 16-4 overall in singles action during his debut season. Sheard added five conference wins in doubles play.
Patten (26th season) was celebrated by his peers as the Steve Wilkinson Coach of the Year for men’s tennis after guiding the Saints to a second consecutive MIAC Playoff berth and the program’s first-ever trip to the conference semifinals. The award is named in honor of Steve Wilkinson, who spent 39 years (1971-2009) at the helm of the Gustavus men’s tennis program, retiring with the most overall victories (929) in the history of collegiate men’s tennis.
Kataria (Kolkata, India | Weil Academy & College Prep) was the recipient of the prestigious MIAC Arthur Ashe Award. A four-time All-MIAC honoree in both singles and doubles play, Kataria has collected more than 80 combined wins for the Knights with his impact being felt beyond the court as well.
“Yuv’s combination of intelligence, empathy towards others, and patience has allowed him to excel,” Carleton head coach Stephan Zweifel said. “His dedication has set the standard for the rest of the team, and I have always appreciated that he takes complete ownership for his actions and results. Yuv has served as a mentor for countless students on campus with his work in the Career Center, Athletic Liaison, and teaching assistantships. Yuv is generous with his time, and many Carleton students (especially first-generation and international students) have received internships and valuable career coaching through Yuv’s support.”
Kataria has maintained a 3.77 grade point average and earned the distinction of being an Intercollegiate Tennis Association Scholar-Athlete in each of his academic years at Carleton. He has served as a teaching assistant in the Carleton economics department and led tutoring sessions to assist other students on campus. He has also been an active member of the Carleton and MIAC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, organizing benefit events on campus as well as advocating for student-athlete interests and experience in the conference and beyond. Kataria is the Knights' sixth MIAC Arthur Ashe Award recipient.
The 2024 MIAC Men's Tennis All-Conference Singles and Doubles teams were also recognized. The All-Conference team is selected based on performance during conference dual matches, with the top 18 players (including ties) recognized for both singles and doubles. Coaches also voted on honorable mention selections.
Awards are nominated by and voted on by the MIAC head men's tennis coaches and statistics from MIAC matches are considered for conference honors; any nominated player not selected as All-Conference but still receiving votes from at least three coaches was named honorable mention.
The MIAC also announced the All-Playoff Team for men's tennis, which recognized the top eight performers from the conference tournament, as selected by playoff-participant head coaches.