Arcadia University Athletic Hall of Fame
Tom McGovern guided the men’s and women’s tennis programs from 1994 to 2004 and is the all-time winningest coach in the history of both programs. The two programs combined for 156 total victories, 16 winning seasons, and two Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (PAC) titles. A total of 43 players earned All-Conference Honors, 23 of which were conference champions.
McGovern led the women’s program to an overall record of 88-53, which included a 55-35 record in PAC matches and seven winning seasons. A total of 13 players combined for 22 All-Conference selections for McGovern, a number that includes eight players that captured a combined 13 PAC titles. He coached the program’s only players to be named conference Player of the Year: Jen Szeker in 2001 and Jin Hong in 2003.
McGovern was named 2001 PAC Coach of the Year after leading the Knights to a perfect 15-0 record and the program’s first conference title. That undefeated season was the first and, to-date, only undefeated season in conference history. In 2002, Sarah McNicoll was named Most Valuable Player of the PAC Championships after winning the No. 1 singles title and advancing to the semifinals at No. 1 doubles.
The women’s tennis team recorded double-digit win totals in four consecutive seasons from 1998 to 2001, setting the school record for wins three times. The 15 victories in 2001 still stand as the team record for wins in a season.
McGovern led the men’s program to an overall record of 68-41, which included a 44-18 record in PAC matches and nine winning seasons. A total of 21 players earned All-Conference honors, with 15 individuals combining for 21 conference championships, including 1997 PAC Player of the Year Matt Wentzel and 2000 PAC Player of the Year Vince Abate. Also among those All-Conference selections was Lak Shpabmixay, who would succeed McGovern as head men’s and women’s tennis coach.
McGovern was named 2000 PAC Coach of the Year after leading the Knights to a first-place tie in the conference standings at 5-1. Arcadia captured its first PAC title two years later in 2003 with a perfect league mark of 7-0 and a school-record nine total victories. The Knights bested that overall win total the following season with 10 victories, which still stands as the school record for wins in a season.
