ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Five members of the Alfred University men's tennis team were honored by the Empire 8 Tuesday morning, as the conference announced its 2021 Men's Tennis All-Conference awards.
 
Sophomore Wes Dennison (Almond, N.Y./Alfred-Almond) was named to the All-Empire 8 Second Team as a singles competitor. He also earned All-Empire 8 Second Team Doubles honors with teammate, first year Sam Cohen (Brighton, N.Y./Brighton). Senior Ryan Brown (Olean, N.Y./Olean) and first year Isaac Little (Alfred, N.Y./Alfred-Almond) were also named to the All-Empire 8 Second Team for doubles, while senior Adam Shearer (Horseheads, N.Y./Horseheads) was named the Empire 8 Sportsman of the Year. The four all-conference honorees were the most for the Saxons since the 2007-08 season.
 
Dennison earns his first all-conference singles honor in 2021 after leading the team in singles victories, finishing with an 8-4 record. He was one of the hottest singles players in the Empire 8 down the stretch, winning his last seven matches.
 
In doubles, Dennison and Cohen earn their first doubles honor of their careers, after teaming up for a 6-6 record at third doubles. The pair beat the eventual Empire 8 champions in Houghton College earlier in the season, and also picked up victories against Utica, St. John Fisher and Nazareth. Cohen also earned four singles wins this season.
 
Brown finishes his AU career with his first all-conference honor, while Little wraps up his rookie season with an all-conference honor. The pair went 5-3 as a doubles tandem, playing at the top spot. They picked up victories over Utica, Oswego State, and St. John Fisher College. Brown won three matches as a singles competitor, playing mostly first singles, while Little won four singles matches, going 3-4 at second singles.
 
Shearer is Alfred's selection for the Men's Tennis Sportsman of the Year team. The Empire 8 Conference emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete's experience in conjunction with an institution's educational mission. Shearer has distinguished himself, consistently exhibiting the critical traits as an outstanding sportsman.
 
The senior also had a solid 2021 season, winning five matches as a doubles competitor, including a 4-3 record with senior Logan Cross (Olean, N.Y./Olean). Shearer also won two matches as a singles competitor.

"Having four guys honored is a testament to how much this team has improved," said head coach Jordan Crouch. "It's been a long time since we had this many honorees. These five guys are all deserving of this honor and busted their tails all year long to help our team succeed. Can't wait to bring Sam, Isaac, and Wes back to do it all again next year!"
 
The Saxons went 4-9 in the truncated season, but won its first Empire 8 postseason contest in 16 years after defeating Utica 5-0 in the first round.