Saia Named Big 12 Coach Of The Year; Kadleckova Honored

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State tennis coach Boomer Saia has been named Big 12 Women's Tennis Coach of the Year as voted upon by his peers in the league, while freshman Miska Kadleckova was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team and Big 12 All-Freshman Team.

Saia, in just his third year leading the program, has completely turned the program around and led it to heights never before reached. The Cyclones, picked to finish ninth in the league's preseason poll, tied for fifth place in the final standings.

The 2020-21 Cyclones finished the season 14-8 overall and with a 4-4 record in conference action. The four conference wins were a school record and ISU earned the first Big 12 Tournament win in school history and first conference tournament match since 1994.

Iowa State received the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament berth and defeated No. 24 South Carolina, 4-2, to advance to the second round last weekend in Raleigh, N.C.

In total, Iowa State earned five wins against nationally-ranked opponents in 2021. They were the first five victories over ranked foes in school history.

As a team, ISU was ranked the final 10 weeks of the regular season, peaking at No. 31. The Cyclones have been ranked for 11 weeks in school history, all of which have come under Saia's direction.

The best season in school history was greatly aided by the arrival of Kadleckova for the spring semester. She becomes ISU's fourth all-conference selection and the second Cyclone to earn Big 12 All-Freshman team honors.

The Banska Bystrica, Slovakia native arrived in January and made an instant impact during her freshman campaign. She went 16-3 in singles action and 13-7 in doubles play.

Kadleckova posted an 8-1 record at No. 3 singles and won six of her final seven decisions overall. She defeated her first ranked opponent in the NCAA Tournament, downing No. 87 Emma Shelton of South Carolina, 6-3, 7-5. She also won her second round match, beating NC State's Adriana Reami, 6-3, 6-4.

Kadleckova won the first 10 matches of her career after arriving at Iowa State and matched fellow newcomer Sofia Cabezas with a team-high four conference victories.

2021 All-Big 12/Individual Women's Tennis Postseason Awards
Coach of the Year: Boomer Saia, Iowa State
Player of the Year: Bunyawi Thamchaiwat, Oklahoma State
Newcomer of the Year: Kaitlin Staines, Texas Tech
Freshman of the Year: Peyton Stearns, Texas

All-Big 12 Women's Tennis Teams – Singles
First Team
Melany Krywoj, Baylor
Malkia Ngounoue, Kansas
Carmen Corley, Oklahoma
Bunyawi Thamchaiwat, Oklahoma State
Marie Norris, TCU
Peyton Stearns, Texas
Lulu Sun, Texas
Anna Turati, Texas

Second Team
Alicia Herrero Linana, Baylor
Miska Kadleckova, Iowa State
Karine-Marion Job, Kansas State
Dana Guzman, Oklahoma
Alana Wolfberg, Oklahoma State
Charlotte Chavatipon, Texas
Lisa May, Texas Tech
Margarita Skriabina, Texas Tech

All-Big 12 Women's Tennis Teams – Doubles
First Team
Melany Krywoj/Angie Shakhraichuk, Baylor
Carmen Corley/Ivana Corley, Oklahoma
Lulu Sun/Kylie Collins, Texas
Lisa Mays/Kaitlin Staines, Texas Tech

Second Team
Karine-Marion Job/Maria Linares, Kansas State
Peyton Stearns/Charlotte Chavatipon, Texas
Anna Turati/Fernada Labrana, Texas
Marie Norris/Stevie Kennedy, TCU

Big 12 Women's All-Freshman Team
Miska Kadleckova, Iowa State
Dana Guzman, Oklahoma
Charlotte Chavatipon, Texas
Kylie Collins, Texas
Peyton Stearns, Texas
Lulu Sun, Texas