Aug. 27, 2007

The Johnson C. Smith Women's tennis team was recently honored by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) as a 2007 ITA All-Academic Team. They were one of 42 teams in NCAA Division II named as a 2007 ITA All Academic team.

The 2006-2007 Golden Bull women's team of Jae Hargett, Brittany Laws, Jennifer Lee, Czarina Moore, and Melissa Schuler has a cumulative team average of 3.57. The JCSU team was the only Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) school and one of three historically black college and universities (Benedict College, West Virginia State University) to receive this honor.

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

 "I am very happy for this honor that was bestowed on our women's tennis team," remarked head coach James Cuthbertson, Jr. "It is a testament to them, their parents and to Johnson C. Smith University to achieve this high ranking."

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 2006 and spring 2007).

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 through senior year).

For a complete listing of the All-Academic teams and the scholar-athletes, please log on to http://www.itatennis.com/