Four Salukis earn MVC Scholar-Athlete honors
04/21/2010 | 12:00:00 | Men's Tennis
April 21, 2010
By Michael Benson
www.SIUSalukis.com
ST. LOUIS, Mo.-Four members of the Saluki men's and women's tennis teams earned spots on the MVC Scholar-Athlete teams for the 2009-10 season, the league office announced Wednesday.
Anton Leonenko and Falk De Beenhouwer both earned men's first-team honors, while Martina Vianna Ce garnered women's first-team honors for the third straight year. In addition, Emily Whitney was tabbed for the women's honorable mention team.
Leonenko, a senior from Calgary, Canada, has earned a 3.782 GPA while majoring in finance. The senior earned first-team MVC Scholar-Athlete honors in 2009, which makes him one of four two-time honorees on the '09-10 team. Leonenko was also named ITA Scholar-Athlete in 2009 and was a member of SIU's 2009 squad that earned an ITA All-Academic Team award. He currently has a 3-4 singles mark and a 5-3 record in doubles.
De Beenhouwer, a junior from Kapellen, Belgium, has a 3.786 GPA in economics. He currently holds a 9-6 record in singles, which is the best mark on the team. De Beenhouwer produced a season-high five match winning streak in singles from Feb. 20 to March 6.
Vianna Ce was named to the Scholar-Athlete team for the third straight year, making her one of two athletes on this year's women's team to make it. The senior from Porto Alegre, Brazil, has accumulated a 3.53. GPA while double majoring in foreign language/international trade and journalism. Vianna Ce earned ITA Scholar-Athlete honors in 2008 and was a member of SIU's 2009 squad that earned an ITA All-Academic Team award. She also won the MVC Individual Championships title at No. 6 singles in October. She also holds an 9-7 overall singles record in the spring, mostly playing No. 4 singles and has gone a team-best 15-7 in doubles with partner Melanie Delsart in 2009-10.
Whitney, a sophomore from Prairie Village, Kan., has earned a 3.721 GPA with a major in kinesiology. She named an ITA Scholar-Athlete in 2009 and was a member of SIU's 2009 squad that earned an ITA All-Academic Team award. Whitney currently holds a 12-9 record in singles, splitting time between No. 2 and No. 3 singles during the season.
The Saluki tennis squads will head to Wichita, Kan., this weekend for the State Farm MVC Team Tennis Championships. The men's team will open their MVC title defense on Friday, as they face the Creighton Bluejays at 4 p.m. Meanwhile, the women will begin with the Drake Bulldogs on Friday at 9 a.m.
Players Mentioned
