EVANSTON, Ill – Northwestern senior Sam Shropshire earned Big Ten Athlete of the Week accolades after leading the Wildcats to their first ever berth in the ITA National Team Indoor Championship, the conference announced Tuesday.
The award is the second in a row for the 'Cats after Konrad Zieba earned it last week.
Shropshire went a perfect 4-0 over the weekend with two wins in doubles and two in singles to help Northwestern to a pair of 4-0 shutouts of Memphis and Georgia Tech during ITA Kickoff Weekend.
He outscored his opponents 24-8 in singles with straight set wins over Kai Lemke of Memphis (6-3, 6-2) and Carlos Benito of Georgia Tech (6-0, 6-3) at the No. 3 spot.
Shropshire also partnered with Zieba at No. 1 doubles for a pair of wins. The duo beat Memphis' Andrew Watson and Kai Lemke, 6-2, and Georgia Tech's Christopher Eubanks and Phillip Gresk, 6-1, to help the 'Cats secure the doubles point in both matches. Shropshire and Zieba are 4-0 this year at the No. 1 spot.
Northwestern is out to a 6-0 start for the first time since the 2013 season. The program record for wins to start a year is nine in 1989. The Wildcats will have a chance to tie that mark with three home matches this weekend. They take on Boise State at 2 p.m. on Friday, Harvard at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday and Duke at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
The award is the second in a row for the 'Cats after Konrad Zieba earned it last week.
Shropshire went a perfect 4-0 over the weekend with two wins in doubles and two in singles to help Northwestern to a pair of 4-0 shutouts of Memphis and Georgia Tech during ITA Kickoff Weekend.
He outscored his opponents 24-8 in singles with straight set wins over Kai Lemke of Memphis (6-3, 6-2) and Carlos Benito of Georgia Tech (6-0, 6-3) at the No. 3 spot.
Shropshire also partnered with Zieba at No. 1 doubles for a pair of wins. The duo beat Memphis' Andrew Watson and Kai Lemke, 6-2, and Georgia Tech's Christopher Eubanks and Phillip Gresk, 6-1, to help the 'Cats secure the doubles point in both matches. Shropshire and Zieba are 4-0 this year at the No. 1 spot.
Northwestern is out to a 6-0 start for the first time since the 2013 season. The program record for wins to start a year is nine in 1989. The Wildcats will have a chance to tie that mark with three home matches this weekend. They take on Boise State at 2 p.m. on Friday, Harvard at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday and Duke at 2 p.m. on Sunday.