Riverside's Trustfull Named Player of the Year, Yancey Crowned Coach of the Year
At the conclusion of the 2018 regular season, the Riverside City College men's tennis team was crowned the Orange Empire Conference (OEC) Champions following an overall record of 19-2 with a conference mark of 9-1.
At the conclusion of the 2018 regular season, the Riverside City College men's tennis team was crowned the Orange Empire Conference (OEC) Champions following an overall record of 19-2 with a conference mark of 9-1. Amidst the success, more great news followed with sophomore Kayne Trustfull (Amsterdam, Netherlands) being named the OEC Player of the Year and Head Coach Tom Yancey hauling in OEC Coach of the Year honors.
Trustfull was a mainstay as the top singles player for the second-ranked Tigers all season. He earned an overall singles record of 15-3 to pace the Tigers. He earned an even more impressive record of 9-0 in conference to prove his utter reign over conference opponents.
Additionally, he was a solid doubles member as he worked towards a 9-4 overall record encompassing a 4-2 mark in conference action.
"It has been fun to see his growth from being here in August to now," said Head Coach Tom Yancey. "He has been remarkable. He is a leader on the team and his ability to compete motivates a team. He has truly been a catalyst for our program."
Some may say a team is only as strong as their leader. The program had the strongest leader in the conference as Yancey earned the crown of Coach of the Year. Yancey, however, believes the exact opposite.
"A coach is only as good as his team," Yancey humbly stated. "Our focus is always on team first, individual accolades second. They bought into that. They have become a family. If one player struggles, they are there to pick them up."
After reigning supreme in the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Southern California Regional round with a 5-0 win over Grossmont, Yancey has confidence in his program moving forward throughout the playoffs.
"We just really need to show up and get a little bit better each day – very simple."
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