SAINT PETER, Minn. - The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) announced its regional awards Wednesday and Gustavus men's tennis assistant coach Kinzee Salo has been named the Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year. 

Salo has been on the Gustavus men's tennis coaching staff since 2019 and has played a part in directing the Gusties to the past four MIAC regular season and playoff championships. This season Salo helped the Gusties achieve a 23-8 overall record while reaching the second round of the NCAA tournament. This season, she also coached All-American doubles players Gage Gohl, Tyler Haddorff, Marco Siviero, and Josh Christensen, while Gohl also earned All-America singles accolades. 

"We are beyond grateful that Kinzee has been named ITA Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year," said Head Coach Tommy Valentini. "She is tremendous in all phases of what it means to be a college tennis coach, and she is an integral part of our program on every level. She has helped our team accomplish amazing results on the court during her time with our program, and more importantly, she is an incredible role model for our student-athletes, as a competitor, a leader, and as a person. 

"Kinzee is a true professional who has the respect and trust of our players and program. She consistently and powerfully shows that a woman can effectively and positively coach a group of male student-athletes in a national-caliber men's program. We are so thankful for Kinzee and all that she does and for what she means to our team, and that she has been honored for her excellent coaching with this great recognition. I hope that her amazing work in our program will open doors and lead to more opportunities for excellent women coaches in women's and men's programs throughout all of college tennis."