Summer continues to bring more accolades for Tusculum student-athletes for their performance in the classroom.
The Tusculum Men’s and Women’s tennis teams have earned recognition from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) as All-Academic Teams, and four members of the men’s golf team have been named to the 2015-2016 NCAA Division II Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar Men’s Golf Team.
Tennis team honors
The Tusculum is one of only 49 NCAA Division II colleges and universities to have both its men’s and women’s teams earn ITA All-Academic Team honors. The ITA All-Academic Team Award is presented to any ITA program that has above a 3.2 cumulative grade point average for the academic year. This is the 10th straight year the Pioneer men’s tennis team has earned the ITA All-Academic team award. It is the fifth straight year that the women’s tennis team has received the distinction.
All eight of the men’s tennis team earned the ITA Scholar Athlete distinction: Toby de Klerk, Tashique Kader, Eduardo Muñoz, Fabian Paier, Leon Seiz, David Siegle, Tim Stierle and Jonas Winkelmann. ITA Scholar Athletes are student-athletes who are a varsity letter-winner, have a GPA of 3.5 or higher for the current academic year and have been enrolled at their present school for at least two semesters.
Men’s tennis boasted an impressive 3.825 team GPA for this academic year, and the team members’ 3.646 cumulative GPA is the best of Tusculum’s 16 sponsored sports.
The women’s tennis team had seven of its members earn ITA Scholar Athlete distinction including Sarah Baker, Jule Brass, Franziska Funke, Adrienne Kaye, Erin Mills, Amanda Sumner and Emily Waters. The Pioneers recorded a 3.622 team GPA, the second-best of Tusculum’s sponsored sports. The women’s tennis team has earned the ITA award 10 times in the last 13 years.
Tusculum’s fifth consecutive ITA All-Academic Team Award and 10th time in the last 13 years.
Men’s Golf honors
Seniors Nick Forsberg and Brad Hawkins return to the 015-2016 NCAA Division II Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar Men’s Golf Team for a second straight season, while juniors Taylor Smith and Preston Tucker make their inaugural appearances.
Ninety-one (91) Division II golfers in the country have been recognized by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) for the distinction. To be eligible, an individual must be a junior or senior academically, compete in at least three full years at the collegiate level, participate in 70 percent of his team’s competitive rounds and have a stroke average under 78.0 and maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.2. Honorees must also be of high moral character and be in good standing at his college or university.
Tusculum’s four honorees are the most in the South Atlantic Conference, which boasted 13 representatives.
Hawkins, a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, has a 3.61 cumulative grade point average and was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® first team earlier this summer. The sport management major has been selected to the SAC Commissioner’s Honor Roll, Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, Dean’s List and Charles Oliver Gray Honors List.
Forsberg, a native of Staples, Minnesota, also garnered Academic All-America® recognition last month. He graduated from Tusculum in May with a 3.75 GPA and majored in sport management. He is a member of the SAC Commissioner’s Honor Roll, Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, Dean’s List and Charles Oliver Gray Honors List. He has been named the SAC Men’s Golf Scholar Athlete of the Year in each of the last two seasons.
Smith, a native of Gray, Tennessee, has a 3.30 GPA and is majoring in business administration. He is a member of the SAC Commissioner’s Honor and the Tusculum Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.
Tucker rounds out the Tusculum honorees on the GCAA All-America Scholar Team. The Knoxville, Tennessee product has a 3.90 GPA while majoring in business administration. He is a member of the SAC Commissioner’s Honor Roll, Dean’s List, President’s List, Charles Oliver Gray Honors List and the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.