Konikov, Hrynashka honored as Coach of the Year
Women's Coach of the Year PDF
Men's Coach of the Year PDF
Sacramento State’s Slava Konikov has been named the Big Sky Conference Men’s Tennis Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year. The 2010 recipient was chosen in a vote by the league coaches earlier this week.
Konikov led the Hornets to their second consecutive win and eighth overall Big Sky Championship after going 15-11 this season. Sacramento State went 7-1 conference play, dropping an early season match to Northern Arizona and then came back to claim the 2010 tournament title with a 4-0 win over Northern Arizona in the championship match.
Five players were named to the all-conference team under Konikov. Kiryl Harbatsiuk, Anton Stryhas and Jason Smith ranked all received first team status, while Marko Starcevic and Holden Ching were named under honorable mention. Harbatsiuk, a junior, was named this year’s MVP for the second time in a row.
In addition to all-conference team, Harbatsiuk ranked No. 91, while teammate Smith ranked No. 109 in singles. In doubles, Harbatsiuk and Stryhas are ranked No. 71 and Harbatsiuk and Starcevic sit at No. 84.
Konikov has been with the Sacramento State men’s tennis program for five years. In 2007, he guided the Hornets to the program’s first Big Sky Tournament title since the 2003 season. He also spent two years with the Sacramento State women’s team, where he helped coach them to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances.
The native of Minsk, Belarus has 24 years of coaching experience. Konikov spent nine years as an instructor at the Minsk Tennis Club in Belarus from 1983-92. He also coached the Belarus Davis Cup team from 1995-02, and led the Junior National Women’s Team to four-consecutive world championships from 1999-02.
Konikov spent time coaching the Polish Junior Men’s and Women’s National Teams from 1993-95. Additionally, he coached Victoria Azaremko, who was the top-ranked juniors player in the world in 1998-02. In 2005, he coached three players that were ranked among the top 200 professionals in the world, in Max Mirnyi, Vladimir Voltchkov and Tatiana Poutchek.
Konikov was ranked among the top 10 singles players in the Soviet Union during his playing days. He graduated from Moscow Sports University where he received what is the equivalent to the United States’ All-American honors as a tennis player.
Sacramento State’s Dima Hrynashka has earned his third straight Big Sky Conference Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year honors. The 2010 recipient was chosen in a vote by the league coaches earlier this week.
The native of Belarus is in his fourth season as the women’s head coach. In his four years at the helm of the program, Hrynashka has led the Hornets to a 74-28 combined record and five Big Sky Championships. The Hornets have now won 72 consecutive conference matches.
The No. 55-ranked Hornets went 17-6 this season and were undefeated in conference play. Sacramento State won its ninth consecutive Big Sky Tournament title topping Northern Arizona 4-0.
Under Hrynashka, Sacramento State placed four players on the 2010 All-Conference Team in Tatsiana Kapshai, Maria Meliuk, Clarisse Baca, and Rebeca Delgado. All were named to first team, including freshman Delgado. Kapshai, a sophomore, was tabbed the Big Sky MVP.
Hrynashka began his coaching career at the Olympic Center of Belarus in 1998, where he coached youth players. In 2003, he took over the 14-under girls and boys national team of Belarus and his girls team won the world championship that same year.
Hrynashka competed for the Belarus national team as a youth and turned pro at the age of 18 before retiring due to a career-ending back injury. As a player, Hrynashka was coached by Sacramento State’s head men’s tennis coach Slava Konikov.