Photo by: Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner
MTEN | Sam Simmonds Takes Home Program’s First WCC Freshman of the Week Honor
2/17/2026 12:04:00 PM | Men's Tennis
SAN BRUNO, Calif. - Melbourne native Sam Simmonds was named this week's West Coast Conference Freshman of the Week after helping the Gaels to their fifth win of the spring season. The Saint Mary's men's tennis team defeated Fresno Pacific 5-2 where Simmonds and teammate Juan Pedro Etchecoin won their doubles match handingly, defeating FPU's Felix Devallius and Tim Bangert, 6-1.
Simmonds is now 3-2 in doubles matches this season but has had the bulk of his success come in singles play, holding a team-best 4-1 record. Simmonds held off Cal's Bernardo Munk Mesa 7-5 3-2 in an unfinished match as the Gaels got swept 4-0 by the Golden Bears to split their two-match weekend.
Simmonds became the first WCC Freshman of the Week award winner in program history with 2026 being the first season with the freshman award. He was also the first conference weekly award winner since Carlos Ramos Membrives and Ellison Greco won Doubles Team of the Week back in March of 2024.
Saint Mary's will head to Southern California next week to take on UC Irvine on Saturday. Additional match information and live scoring links can be found at smcgaels.com
Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.
#GaelsRise
Simmonds is now 3-2 in doubles matches this season but has had the bulk of his success come in singles play, holding a team-best 4-1 record. Simmonds held off Cal's Bernardo Munk Mesa 7-5 3-2 in an unfinished match as the Gaels got swept 4-0 by the Golden Bears to split their two-match weekend.
Simmonds became the first WCC Freshman of the Week award winner in program history with 2026 being the first season with the freshman award. He was also the first conference weekly award winner since Carlos Ramos Membrives and Ellison Greco won Doubles Team of the Week back in March of 2024.
"Sam has been a great addition to the team this season and has really been grinding and playing well for us", said head coach Dan Cardiff. "He totally deserves this award, he's been playing great and really stepping up fpr the team so far this season. Can't wait to see him grow and improve over the course of the spring" (Cardiff).
Saint Mary's will head to Southern California next week to take on UC Irvine on Saturday. Additional match information and live scoring links can be found at smcgaels.com
Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.
#GaelsRise
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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