TEMPE, Ariz. – The Ursinus College men's tennis program enjoyed a banner year in the classroom, earning an All-Academic Team award from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) as five of its members were honored as ITA Scholar-Athletes.
The Bears made it two years in a row of All-Academic Team status, which recognizes programs with a 3.20 grade-point average or above. All six players have at least a 3.0 GPA, and the men's tennis team finished the 2019-20 academic year with a 3.62 mark.
Recent graduate Connor DeFaber-Schumacher, rising seniors Mason Groff and Matt Fontanese, rising junior Simbarashe Kanjanda, and rising sophomore Noah Mandel were all named Scholar-Athletes, a distinction reserved for student-athletes with a 3.50 GPA or higher.
Groff and Fontanese each received their third career Scholar-Athlete nod, adding an academic edge to a sparkling season that also included a 6-1 mark at No. 1 doubles (8-2 overall) and a trip to the quarterfinals of the championship bracket at the ITA Southeast Regional, the first players in team history to advance that far in the tournament. Fontanese was 6-1 at No. 2 singles, while Groff compiled a 5-2 standing at No. 1.
Kanjanda repeated on the Scholar-Athlete roster while going 5-1 at No. 5 singles. DeFaber-Schumacher, with whom Kanjanda combined to post a 5-1 record at No. 2 doubles, was honored for the first time; he was 5-2 at No. 3 singles.
Mandel finished 3-3 at No. 6 singles and teamed with Kyle Bookman to tally a 3-3 mark at No. 3 doubles.