By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- The Willamette University women's tennis team has received All-Academic Team status from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) for the 2018-19 season. Four members of Willamette's team also qualified as ITA Scholar-Athletes. Willamette players who received the individual academic honor are Hannah Andres (Sr., Sammamish, WA/Skyline HS), Sarah Dean (Sr., Boise, ID/Timberline HS), Alexis Gjurasic (Sr., Olympia, WA/Capital HS), amd Sylvia Marr (So., Grants Pass, OR/Hidden Valley HS).
Hundreds of All-Academic Teams and thousands of ITA Scholar-Athletes were selected nationwide from women's tennis squads and men's tennis squads competing in NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, the NAIA and junior colleges.
The All-Academic Team award was received with a cumulative team grade point average of 3.20 or higher on a 4.0 scale during the academic year. All varsity letterwinners were included in each team's overall GPA. Scholar-Athlete status was achieved if a player was a varsity letterwinner with a grade point average of at least 3.50 (4.0 scale) during the 2018-19 academic year. Athletes had to attend their current college or university for a least two semesters.
Willamette is a member of NCAA Division III and the Northwest Conference. In Division III, a total of 136 teams were chosen for the women's All-Academic list and 853 women's tennis players claimed Scholar-Athlete status. In the NWC, All-Academic Team honors were awarded to five women's teams, while 28 women's players were named ITA Scholar-Athletes.
ITA Scholar-Athlete Award
Hannah Andres (Sr.) concluded her Willamette career after playing in 53 singles matches and 37 doubles matches in her four seasons with the Bearcats. In 2018-19, she was 6-8 in doubles. She achieved a 3-3 record in NWC doubles matches, earning wins at #3 doubles against University of Puget Sound, Pacific University and Lewis & Clark College.
Andres graduated from Willamette this spring with a bachelor's degree and a major in Religious Studies.
Sarah Dean (So.) has achieved a 16-15 overall record in singles in two years at Willamette. She is 13-17 overall in doubles. As a freshman, she recorded an 11-6 mark in singles and went 8-8 in doubles with Marr. She has competed in singles in all 31 dual matches during her career.
In NWC competition this past season, Dean won singles matches against Pacific Lutheran, George Fox University and Lewis & Clark. She is majoring in Politics, Policy, Law and Ethics with a minor in American Ethnic Studies. She qualified for ITA Scholar-Athlete honors for the second time.
Alexis Gjurasic (Sr.) earned the ITA Scholar-Athlete award for the fourth season in a row. As a senior, she plays singles and doubles in 13 of Willamette's 14 dual matches. Earlier in her career, she played singles and doubles in every match as a freshman and a sophomore. During her junior season, she studied abroad in the fall and competed in doubles during all 16 matches in the spring. Overall she played singles 43 times and doubles 59 times out of a possible 60 dual matches.
Gjurasic graduated this year with a bachelor's degree and a double major in Anthropology and French and Francophone Studies, plus a minor in Studio Art.
Sylvia Marr (So.) received ITA Scholar-Athlete recognition for the second time. She participated in singles and doubles in 13 of 14 dual matches in 2018-19, after playing singles in all 17 matches and seeing action in 16 doubles matches as a first-year player in 2017-18.
Marr and Dean were 8-8 in doubles during their first season at Willamette. This past spring, Marr and Gjurasic won doubles matches against College of Idaho, Pacific Lutheran and Occidental College. Marr is majoring in Politics, Policy, Law and Ethics with a minor in Civic Communication and Media.
Note: Academic year listed for each player is for the 2018-19 season.