John Shurna
In his first season at Northwestern, forward John Shurna proved a veteran shooter, leading the team with a .466 field goal percentage. Shurna’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer against Ohio State cemented his status as a clutch shooter and a threat to score from anywhere on the floor at any time. That win helped the Wildcats notch their 17th victory of the season and a berth in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). During the summer, Shurna played on the U-19 World Championship team that won gold in New Zealand. This year, he’ll join senior Kevin Coble in NU’s prolific front court.
Adrienne Monka
It’s rare that a freshman steps into the cleanup spot in a team’s order from day one on campus, but that’s exactly what Adrienne Monka did. And well. Monka won Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. She started every game and finished second in the nation in home runs per game and third in the nation in slugging percentage. Monka broke the school record with hits in eight straight at-bats and capped the season with a NFCA All-America first team selection at first base. She’ll provide a long ball threat in the middle of coach Kate Drohan’s lineup for the next three years and should challenge for some of NU’s all-time hitting records.
Eric Chun
After clinching the Big Ten individual championship as the first freshman to do so in more than 20 years, Eric Chun went on to earn the Big Ten Freshman of the Year title. Chun finished the regular season with three top-10 finishes and an additional three top-20 finishes on his way to seize the Cats’ eighth individual or team title in 10 years. Chun had interesting motivational techniques that should help inspire the Cats to perform to the best of their ability over the next few seasons.
Joshua Graves
Joshua Graves finished the season with a team-high eight Big Ten victories and 25 overall singles wins to help the Cats capture fifth in the Big Ten. Graves was versatile, as he played at four different singles spots throughout the season and partnered with both Alex Sanborn and Tobias Reitz for doubles. Graves was a key part of coach Arvid Swan’s highly touted recruiting class that is paving the future of NU men’s tennis.
