The scholastic honors train just keeps on rolling for Kenyon College student-athletes. Following announcements that recognized the scholarship and GPAs for Owl swimming and diving, track and field, lacrosse, golf, softball and baseball teams, Kenyon’s men’s and women’s tennis teams are the latest to receive honors.
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) has announced that a record 12 members of the Kenyon College men’s tennis program and its team, and the women’s team and five of its members have earned Scholar-Athlete recognition from its organization.
Making the list of honorees on the men’s tennis team for the 2021-22 academic year were Angelo Vidal, Matias Mauviel, Jacob Smith, Jack Wagner, Eric Zhang, Aidan Biglow, Evan Dean, Thomas Kallarakal, Christophe Leblanc, Christian Picot, Henry Wessel and Harshal Rukhaiyar.
Kenyon’s previous best single-season total for men’s team recognition was 11 honorees from the 2019-20 campaign. To be eligible for the annual ITA Scholar-Athlete award, individuals had to possess a grade point average of 3.5 or better for the 2021-22 academic year and had to be listed on the institutional eligibility form.
The individual honor was the fourth for Wessel, who finished his senior season with a perfect 11-0 singles record. Vidal and Wagner, also seniors on the 2021-22 roster, are now three-time winners of the ITA’s academic award.
In addition to the individual awards, the Owls earned recognition as an ITA All-Academic Team. That award went to ITA programs that had a cumulative team grade point average of 3.2 or better.
The 16 student-athletes on the Owls’ roster combined to post a grade point average of 3.5 for the 2021-22 academic year. The team award was the Owls’ sixth in a row and their 15th since the 2000-01 campaign.
14th in a row for women
For the 14th consecutive season, the Kenyon College women’s tennis program was selected as an All-Academic Team by the ITA. In addition to the team award, five Kenyon players were recognized as ITA Scholar-Athletes.
The nine Owls on the 2021-22 roster combined for a 3.46 grade point average, giving the program its 19th overall academic award from the ITA. Those collecting individual accolades for Kenyon were Sofia Alonso, Irina Beshentseva, Natalie Connelly, Catriona MacIntosh, Erika Pontillo and Anna Winslow. Alonso and Winslow, both seniors on the 2021-22 team, are now four-time winners of the ITA Scholar-Athlete award, while Pontillo, a junior, is a three-time honoree.
