Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Salukis named ITA All-Academic Team
07/17/2015 | 12:00:00 | Men's Tennis
By Tony McDaniel
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill.-- The Saluki men's tennis team added to its long list of academic achievements Friday. The squad was named an ITA All-Academic Scholar team for the seventh time in the last nine years. It was the team's first honor since 2013. SIU and Drake were the only teams from the Missouri Valley Conference to receive the award.
"I am very proud of our team for accomplishing our goal of achieving the ITA All-Academic Team award," coach Dann Nelson said. "The guys do an exceptional job getting things done in the classroom. I am especially proud of the fact that we have more ITA Scholar Athletes than any other team in the Missouri Valley Conference with five. I must also thank Juan Avila and Kristina Stepps in Academic Services for all of their efforts to help us achieve our goal."
The team received the honor by averaging a team GPA of at least 3.2 for the 2014 fall semester and the 2015 spring semester.
Aidan Saggers, Jonny Rigby, Michal Kianicka, Max Phipps and Ransom Braaten were all named ITA Scholar Athletes for their work in the classroom. To be eligible for the honor student athletes must have a GPA of at least 3.5 for the fall and spring semesters.
Southern's men's tennis team has racked up multiple academic awards this season. Saggers and Phipps won the MVC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award and eight players made the MVC Honor Roll in July.
Players Mentioned
