TEMPE, Ariz. – For the second straight season the Cleveland State men's tennis team was honored by the ITA for their work in the classroom, as they were named a 2019 ITA All-Academic Team. In addition, Nico Mostardi and Raul Teichmann were named ITA Scholar-Athletes.
For the 2018-19 academic year, the Vikings posted a team grade point average of 3.239, and were one of four Horizon League teams to pick up ITA All-Academic Team honors. Earlier this spring, the Vikings represented Cleveland State with the highest men's team GPA, earning the Horizon League's Raise Your Sights Award.
Individually, Mostardi picked up Scholar-Athlete honors for the third straight year after posting a 3.50 grade point average on the year studying marketing. Mostardi has been named to the Cleveland State Dean's List every semester of his collegiate career, while he is also a two-time Horizon League All-Academic Team member.
Teichmann was named an ITA Scholar-Athlete after finishing his freshman season with a 3.573 grade point average, pursuing a degree in international business. Teichmann earned a spot on the Cleveland State Dean's List during his first two collegiate semesters, and was named a CSU Athletic Academic honoree.
On the court, Mostardi and Teichmann led the Vikings to their second straight Horizon League championship during the 2019 spring season, and helped CSU make its seventh appearance in the NCAA Tournament in program history. Under 17-year head coach Brian Etzkin, the Vikings posted an overall record of 19-8, including a perfect 6-0 mark in regular season league play.
In order to earn ITA Scholar-Athlete status, a player must meet the following criteria: 1) be a varsity letter winner, 2) have a grade point average of at least 3.50 for the current academic year, and 3) have been enrolled at their present school for at least two semesters.
The ITA All-Academic Team award is open to any ITA program that has a cumulative team grade point average of 3.20 or above.