The ITA Rookie of the Year honors a first-year student-athlete who made significant contributions to his/her team in the areas of leadership, sportsmanship and performance.
In his first year with ABAC, Gaston Cantero quickly emerged as a leader on the team. He played the majority of the season at the No. 1 spots for both singles and doubles. Cantero finished the season 9-3 in singles and 9-6 in doubles. During the NJCAA Division I National Championship, Cantero fell in a hard-fought semifinals match to eventual NJCAA No. 1 Singles Champion Lyeons. He finished the season ranked No. 3 in singles and doubles. As a result, he was named an ITA Singles and Doubles All-American.
A Note from ABAC Men's Head Coach Dale White
Congratulations Gaston on being voted as the Junior College National Rookie of the Year! This is a well-deserved honor.
Gaston came to ABAC in January and enjoyed a great spring season on the court. He always worked hard and pushed his team mates to become better players. Although his English was limited when he first arrived, he persevered and quickly adapted to life in the US. His level of sportsmanship daily was outstanding and that was seen on the match court. Gaston went 10-3 in singles and 9-6 in doubles - almost exclusively at the number 1 positions. Gaston also achieved a 3.0 GPA for the semester. He will be returning in August to lead this team and compete again at the highest level in Junior College.