Tusculum Tennis Teams Honored With ITA All-Academic Awards

SKILLMAN, N.J. --- The Tusculum College men's and women's tennis teams, under the direction of head coach Tommy Arnett, have been named recipients of the 2007 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division II All-Academic Team Award.

The Tusculum men's tennis team is one of only 12 colleges and universities in NCAA Division II to be honored as an ITA All-Academic Team. The Pioneers also had five of its members earn ITA Scholar Athlete recognition. The Tusculum women's team earn this award for a fourth consecutive season.

The Tusculum women's tennis team is one of 43 Division II teams to be recognized, posting a team cumulative grade point average of 3.353. Tusculum was one of only eight tennis programs in the country to have both its men and women's teams honored.

Tusculum was also one of seven programs in the nation to have five or more honorees (Rockhurst 6, Armstrong Atlantic 6, Tusculum 5, Rollins 5, Ouachita Baptist 5, Michigan Tech 5, Lynn 5, Florida Tech 5) earn ITA Scholar Athlete recognition.

The ITA All-Academic Team award is presented to any ITA program that has above a 3.20 cumulative grade point average. ITA Scholar Athletes are student-athletes who are a varsity letter winner, have a GPA of at least 3.50 for the current academic year and have been enrolled at their present school for at least two semesters.

Tusculum College, located in Greeneville, Tenn., is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and is a NCAA Division II member of the South Atlantic Conference which is comprised of nine colleges and universities in Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Men

The Pioneers boast a 3.305 team grade point average, the second highest of Tusculum's 14 sponsored sports (women's tennis is first with a 3.353 GPA).

Senior Julien Jacob earns his fourth consecutive ITA Scholar Athlete accolade. The Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada native was undefeated in his four singles matches and posted a 14-7 record with No. 3 doubles partner and fellow ITA Scholar Athlete Nicolas Bigler.

Bigler, a 6-6 rising sophomore from Chernex, Switzerland, went 9-9 at No. 2 singles, while posting a solid rookie campaign at the Greeneville, Tenn. school.

Leo Guaycurus, a rising junior from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, earns ITA Scholar Athlete status for the first time. Guaycurus commanded the No. 5 singles spot as he went 11-4, including 4-2 in South Atlantic Conference play.

Rising sophomore Henrique Rodrigues (Salvador-Bahia, Brazil) went 9-10 at No. 4 singles in his first TC season. He and Guaycurus were a solid No. 2 doubles duo as they went 11-8. Rodrigues has a perfect 4.00 GPA and was the recipient of the Tusculum Academic Freshman of the Year Award this past spring.

Heiskell, Tenn. native Hunter Beal, rounds out the academic honoree list. Beal, who earns this honor for a second straight year, posted a 10-4 worksheet at No. 6 singles.

Tusculum posted a 15-7 record this past season, while finishing second in the South Atlantic Conference and advanced to the final of the Food Lion SAC Tournament. The Pioneers also make their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last six years.

Women

Danae Valderrama and Bronwyn Hartley garnered ITA Scholar Athlete distinction, which recognizes those student-athletes who earned a 3.5 GPA during the 2006-07 academic year.

Valderrama, a senior from Orlando, Fla., is a four-time All-South Atlantic Conference selection, including 2007 where she garnered First Team honors. Valderrama earns this award for a second time in her storied career (2004, 2007) as she posted an impressive 68-17 career singles record, including 21-3 in league play. During the 2006-07 campaign, she went 15-6 at No. 1 singles, including 6-1 in SAC matches.

Hartley, a rising senior from Beamsville, Ontario, Canada, recorded an 11-7 mark at No. 4 singles and earns this award for the first time in her career.

Tusculum went 15-6 last year, marking the Pioneers' seventh consecutive winning season and sixth in a row during the Arnett era.

ITA NCAA II All-Academic Women's Tennis Award Recipients
Armstrong Atlantic State University
Barry University
Bellarmine University
Benedict College
Bloomsburg University
Brevard College
California State Los Angeles
California University of Pennsylvania
University of Charleston
Clarion University
Coker College
Columbus State University
Drury University
Erskine College
Florida Gulf Coast University
Florida Tech
Fort Hays State University
Georgia College & State U
Indianapolis, University of
Johnson C. Smith University
Lewis University
Lynn University
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Michigan Tech University
Newman University
Northern Kentucky University
Northwood University
Nova Southeastern University
Palm Beach Atlantic University
Pfeiffer University
Quincy University
Rockhurst University
Rollins College
Slippery Rock
University of South Dakota
Southern Arkansas University
Southwest Baptist University
St. Andrews Presbyterian College
Tarleton State University
Tusculum College
Valdosta State University
West Liberty State College
West Virginia State University

ITA NCAA II All-Academic Men's Tennis Award Recipients
Armstrong Atlantic State University
Barry University
Bentley College
Florida Southern College
Lynn University
Michigan Tech
Ouachita Baptist University
Rockhurst University
Rollins College
Southwest Baptist University
Tusculum College
Western New Mexico University