July 16, 2012

OXFORD, Miss. - While finishing the season among the nation's top 15, the Ole Miss men's tennis team also excelled in the classroom, earning the ITA All-Academic Team Award for the second consecutive year and seventh time overall.  

The Rebels, who ended the year ranked No. 14 in the nation, are one of four teams (Duke, Stanford and Mississippi State being the others) to finish in the top 15 and earn this award.  

This award honors teams with outstanding academic achievements, requiring a minimum overall 3.2 grade point average to be considered.   The Rebels posted a cumulative GPA of 3.40 for the year.

"This was a great year for Ole Miss Tennis," head coach Billy Chadwick said.  "The team excelled on the court, but more importantly, were stellar in the classroom.  They truly exemplify the term student-athlete."

This past season Ole Miss led the nation with four All-Americans and advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen for the 16th time.   The twin duo of Marcel Thiemann and Chris Thiemann reached the NCAA Final Four in doubles and SEC Freshman of the Year Nik Scholtz made the Elite Eight in singles.

Two players were recognized as ITA Scholar-Athletes: Johan Backstrom and Adrian Forberg Skogeng.    To be eligible for ITA Scholar-Athlete recognition student-athletes must have a GPA of 3.50 or higher for the year.  Backstrom led the team with a 3.90 GPA, while Forberg Skogeng registered a 3.77.      Backstrom earned the honor for the first time, while Forberg Skogeng picked up his third honor.  

Academic honors were plenty this year, as the Rebels also earned the Chancellor's Cup for the ninth straight year as the men's team with the highest cumulative GPA.   Six players were named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll, and Marcel Thiemann was a finalist for the SEC Boyd McWhorter Postgraduate Scholarship.  The Thiemann's both graduated from the University of Mississippi and were recently accepted into the MBA program at Ole Miss.