Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5324
ITA Scholar Athlete List
ITA Team All-Academic Award
July 15, 2026 - The North Central College men's tennis team was honored for its success in the classroom by earning the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) All-Academic Team award, and five Cardinals were named ITA Scholar Athletes, the organization announced Wednesday.
The ITA All-Academic Team honor requires a cumulative team grade-point average of at least 3.20, with all varsity letter winners included in the calculation. A total of 147 NCAA Division III men's programs met the standard this year. This is the eighth time the Cardinals have earned the award (2009, 2010, 2011, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2026).
To be recognized as an ITA Scholar Athlete, student-athletes must earn a varsity letter and hold a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher. Matt Crossland becomes just the third player in program history to earn Scholar Athlete honors in all four seasons. Rafael Lessa collects his third academic award, while Philipp Wottgen earns the distinction for the second time. Jack Briggs and David Pineda are first-time honorees.
The 2026-27 men's tennis season opens Sept. 11 at the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Fall Tournament before the Cardinals travel to Wabash College for the ITA Regional Championships on Oct. 2.
