K-State Named ITA All-Academic Team, Five Earn Scholar-Athlete Honors
Jul 19, 2019 | Tennis
MANHATTAN, Kan. – For the fourth time in five years, the Kansas State women's tennis program was recognized by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) as an All-Academic team, while five were named ITA Scholar-Athletes in junior Meghan King, sophomore Maria Linares, junior Ines Mesquita, freshman Maria Ponomareva and sophomore Anna Turco.
"I am extremely proud of this group and their commitment to the classroom," head coach Jordan Smith said. "Our team puts in a tremendous amount of work into their academics in addition to the tennis courts, and I am happy to see them rewarded with this prestigious honor. Credit to our academic advisor Maryclare Wheeler and the entire Student-Athlete Enhancement Center staff. They are so valuable to our program with the countless hours they commit to our team. Special recognition to our five ITA Scholar-Athletes for rising above the demands of being a Division I student-athlete."
The ITA All-Academic Team award is open to any ITA program that has a cumulative team grade point average of 3.20 or above (on a 4.00 scale). All varsity letterwinners are factored into the cumulative team GPA for the academic year.
To earn ITA Scholar-Athlete status, a player must be a varsity letterwinner, have a grade point average of at least 3.50 (on a 4.0 scale) for the current academic year and have been enrolled at their school for at least two semesters. King and Turco each turned in perfect 4.0 GPAs during the spring semester.
The ITA Scholar-Athlete honors are the first in the respective careers of King, Mesquita, Ponomareva and Turco. The five selections match K-State's single-season program record and are the most selections since 2015.
K-State was one of six Big 12 schools named a 2019 All-Academic Team, while its five ITA Scholar-Athlete selections were second most in the league only behind Oklahoma State with nine.
K-State has collected 25 Scholar-Athlete nods over the past six seasons, after having just two ITA team awards and eight Scholar-Athletes from 2002-13.
Capping an impressive academic year, Mesquita, Linares and Turco each collected Academic All-Big 12 First Team accolades in 2019. Eight Wildcats also earned a place on the Spring 2019 Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll while seven were named to the prestigious list after the fall semester.
The Wildcats finished the 2019 season with an overall record of 13-11 (2-7 Big 12) and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Championship.
"I am extremely proud of this group and their commitment to the classroom," head coach Jordan Smith said. "Our team puts in a tremendous amount of work into their academics in addition to the tennis courts, and I am happy to see them rewarded with this prestigious honor. Credit to our academic advisor Maryclare Wheeler and the entire Student-Athlete Enhancement Center staff. They are so valuable to our program with the countless hours they commit to our team. Special recognition to our five ITA Scholar-Athletes for rising above the demands of being a Division I student-athlete."
The ITA All-Academic Team award is open to any ITA program that has a cumulative team grade point average of 3.20 or above (on a 4.00 scale). All varsity letterwinners are factored into the cumulative team GPA for the academic year.
To earn ITA Scholar-Athlete status, a player must be a varsity letterwinner, have a grade point average of at least 3.50 (on a 4.0 scale) for the current academic year and have been enrolled at their school for at least two semesters. King and Turco each turned in perfect 4.0 GPAs during the spring semester.
The ITA Scholar-Athlete honors are the first in the respective careers of King, Mesquita, Ponomareva and Turco. The five selections match K-State's single-season program record and are the most selections since 2015.
K-State was one of six Big 12 schools named a 2019 All-Academic Team, while its five ITA Scholar-Athlete selections were second most in the league only behind Oklahoma State with nine.
K-State has collected 25 Scholar-Athlete nods over the past six seasons, after having just two ITA team awards and eight Scholar-Athletes from 2002-13.
Capping an impressive academic year, Mesquita, Linares and Turco each collected Academic All-Big 12 First Team accolades in 2019. Eight Wildcats also earned a place on the Spring 2019 Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll while seven were named to the prestigious list after the fall semester.
The Wildcats finished the 2019 season with an overall record of 13-11 (2-7 Big 12) and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Championship.
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