TECH RECEIVES MAY ITA NATIONAL TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD

        SKILLMAN, New Jersey – The Arkansas Tech Women’s Tennis team received national recognition on Tuesday as the Golden Suns were honored as May’s women’s team recipient of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Team Sportsmanship Award.

While Tech won the women’s team award for May, the University of Charleston, an NCAA Division II school in Charleston, WV, was honored as the men’s team winner for May.

The ITA National Team Sportsmanship Award is a monthly award that goes to one men’s and women’s team that has exemplified outstanding sportsmanship, character and ethical conduct in the true spirit of competition and collegiate tennis. The winners are selected by the ITA Ethics and Infractions Committee from nominations received from all ITA member institutions (NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and Junior/Community Colleges). This monthly award began in 2003 by the ITA.

“I would like to thank the ITA for recognizing the Arkansas Tech Women’s Tennis team for this award,” Golden Suns Head Coach Abby Davis said. “I am very proud of my team for showing class on and off the tennis court. These are great student-athletes and ambassadors for Arkansas Tech University. To me, this is the highest award a team can receive.”

          According to a release from the ITA (www.ITAtennis.com) announcing the winners from May, sportsmanship and fair play are considered important in college tennis due to the fact that players make their own line calls during a match.

          As the governing body of collegiate tennis, the ITA promotes both the athletic and academic achievements of the collegiate tennis community. The ITA, which was founded in 1956 and is based in Skillman, NJ, administers numerous regional and national championships, the ITA Collegiate Summer Circuit presented by the USTA, and the Fila Collegiate Tennis rankings for men’s and women’s tennis at the NCAA Division I, II and  III, NAIA and Junior College levels. The ITA also has a comprehensive awards program for players and coaches to honor excellence in academics, leadership and sportsmanship.

-- Tech Athletics --