WATERVILLE, MAINE - Johnson State College freshman Grace Page (Bennington, Vt.) has been selected as the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) East Division Women's Tennis Rookie of the Year, while Head Coach Michele Whitmore was tabbed Coach of the Year.

Page has been an incredible addition to the Badger lineup, having posted an overall doubles record of 4-4, including an impressive 4-1 record in conference action, while also playing at the No. 2 position all season in singles, posting four wins. She showed true determination in her first season coming up with several key wins. In her first match of the season, she dropped her first set 6-4, but then battled back to take the next two sets 7-5, 10-8 to earn the win and help her team earn a 6-3 opening victory. The freshman was selected NEAC East Rookie of the Week three times this season.

Whitmore has earned her first NEAC East Coach of the Year award. The eight-year mentor directed the Badgers to a 9-4 overall record, including a 5-2 mark in conference play to earn the No. 2 seed in the upcoming conference tournament. Over the last three years Johnson State has seen vast improvement, including a .400 increase in winning percentage from 2014 to 2015 and then a .143 increase in winning percentage from last season to present. Her teams have claimed four team sportsmanship awards, an all-tournament selection, a Rookie of the Year, and three All-Conference selections.

The Badgers also had two All-Conference selections, with senior Katherina Van Woerkom (Miami, Fla.) being named to the First Team Singles All-Conference and sophomore Jana Somero (St. Albans, Vt.) named to the Second Team Singles All-Conference. Junior captain Nicole Monick was selected to the NEAC East Sportsmanship team.

The second seeded Badgers (8-4, 5-2 NEAC) will travel to Castleton University on Saturday, October 8th for the NEAC East Championship to take on third seeded Husson (6-2, 5-2 NEAC) in the semifinal round, while Colby-Sawyer (10-1, 7-0 NEAC) will take on the host, Castleton (7-6, 4-3 NEAC). The semifinal round will begin at 10:00 a.m., with the winners meeting in the final round an hour after the opening matches are complete.