Five Golden Bulls Named ITA Scholar-Athletes

Five Golden Bulls Named ITA Scholar-Athletes
Women’s Tennis Team Garner All-Academic Honors

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – August 18, 2008 - The Johnson C. Smith Women's tennis team was recently honored by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) as a 2008 ITA All-Academic Team. They were one of 44 teams in NCAA Division II named as a 2008 ITA All Academic team.

The 2007-2008 Golden Bull women's team of Jae Hargett, Brittany Laws, Jennifer Lee, Czarina Moore and Melissa Shuler had a cumulative team average of 3.27. The JCSU team was the only Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) school and one of just two historically black college and universities (Benedict College) to receive this honor.

In addition, Hargett (Minneapolis, Minn.), Lee (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) and Laws (Rocky Mount, N.C.), were named ITA Scholar-Athletes. This is Lee's fourth consecutive time being named an ITA Scholar-Athlete (2005, 2006, 2007), Laws' third time (2006, 2007) and second for Hargett (2007).

Lee, whose playing career concluded following the 2008 season, is the first JCSU player in program history to earn this academic accolade four times. The Palm Beach Gardens, Florida native graduated as salutatorian of the university in May.

The men’s team were not to be undone as Aaron Hutcherson and Jason Stuckey both of Cincinnati, Ohio, were also named ITA Scholar-Athletes.

"I am very happy for this honor that was bestowed on our tennis program," remarked head coach James Cuthbertson, Jr. "This says a lot about the character and hard work that the athletes put in, not only on the tennis court, but in the classroom as well."

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 (on a 4.00 scale). All eligible student-athletes whose names appear on the NCAA/NAIA/NJCAA eligibility form and have competed in one or more varsity matches must average into the GPA for the current academic year (including fall 2007 and spring 2008).

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 (on a 4.00 scale) for the current academic year, and 3.) have been enrolled at their present school for at least 2 semesters (including freshman thorough senior year).

To view the entire list of ITA Scholar-Athletes and All-Academic Teams, click on the link below.
http://www.itatennis.com/AwardsAndRankings/2008_Academic.htm