Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324
ITA DIII Men's Tennis Scholar Athletes
July 24, 2024 - Five members of the North Central College men's tennis team earned Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-Academic Awards for their success in the classroom throughout the 2023-24 school year.
Matt Crossland, Ned Curley, Brian Gambuzza, Rafael Lessa and David Vilarroig Martinez claimed the ITA All-Academic honors by recording a cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 or higher in 2023-24.
Lessa, an economics major from Goiania, Brazil finished with 18 wins as a singles player. This marks the second most by a freshman in program history, only behind teammate Matthew Sengphommachanh in 2021-22 (21 wins). Lessa also captured 18 doubles wins on the year.
Curley, a sport management major from Plymouth, Mich., won six singles matches for the Cardinals with a 4-1 doubles record. Crossland, now a two-time ITA All-Academic honoree, netted five wins for North Central. The journalism major from Leawood, Kan. also was named an Academic All-College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin selection this spring. Gambuzza, a master of business administration graduate student from Plainfield, Ill. totals five wins for the Cardinals. Vilarroig Martinez, an international business and finance major from Castellon, Spain, went 4-0 in singles play with a 2-2 doubles record.
North Central won its third CCIW Championship in school history this past season before winning an NCAA Tournament match over Principia College. The Cardinals went 23-4 on the year with a perfect 7-0 mark in league play.
The Cardinals kick off the 2024-25 season at the CCIW Fall Tournament. The two-day event is set for Sept. 7 at Smeds Tennis Center, on the campus of Carthage College. To view the full 2024-25 schedule, click HERE.
Download the free North Central Cardinals app, available for iOS and Android devices, to receive up-to-the-minute news, scores, and updates on your favorite North Central teams. Click HERE for more information.
