Posted: Jul 30, 2015
Berea, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University men's tennis team has a long tradition of success both in the classroom and on the tennis courts. Veteran Head Coach Brian Rector was an Academic All-American as an undergraduate at BW, and today, he is the winningest men's tennis coach in the history of Ohio collegiate tennis. He makes academics his number one priority, and it shows!
During the 2014-2015 academic year, Rector's men's tennis team compiled a 3.39 team grade point average to earn Intercollegiate Tennis Association ( ITA) All-Academic honors. In addition, four of Rector's student-athletes, seniors Peter Harris (Akron/Revere) and Doug Ganim (Westerville/Olentangy Orange) and juniors Nathan Katz (Upper Arlington/Bexley) and Jake Liebler (Medina), earned ITA Scholar Athlete honors.
"I am extremely proud of the team as it combined excellence in the classroom and on the court," said Rector, who has a 471-95 career record and begins his 27th season at the helm in 2015-2016. "This is another positive example of the student-athlete philosophy hard at work at Baldwin Wallace University.
"It is no accident that the four leaders of our team, Doug, Peter, Nathan and Jake, also set high academic standards that the team followed with flying colors again this year," continued Rector.
In order to earn ITA Scholar-Athlete status a player must meet the following criteria: one, he must be a varsity letter winner; two, he must have a grade point average of at least 3.50 (on a 4.00 scale) for the current academic year; three; he have been enrolled at their present school for at least two semesters, including freshman through senior year.
Harris, who carries a 3.303 cumulative grade point average in business administration, had a 3.634 grade average for the 2014-2015 academic year. He was BW's number-one singles player, teamed with Ganim as the No.1 doubles tandem and was the 2015 Ohio Athletic Conference Men's Tennis Player of the Year. The three-time All-OAC honoree enters his senior season 14th on the school's all-time singles win list with a 64-14 career mark and has combined with Ganim for three straight seasons to rank 11th all-time with a 65-18 slate.
Ganim, who carries a 3.75 cumulative grade average in business and finance, had an outstanding 3.968 grade average this season. He played No.2 singles and combined with Harris at No.1 doubles. The two-time All-OAC and Academic All-OAC ranks in a tie for 16th all-time in singles with a 61-15 career mark. He also is a Dean's List student, Jacket Scholar and member of the Alpha Lambda Delta and Chi Sigma Alpha honor societies.
Katz, who carries a 3.541 grade average in biology, had an excellent, 3.843 grade average in 2014-2015. He played third singles and combined with Liebler at the No.2 doubles duo. He was both an Academic All-OAC selection and the OAC Player of the Week for the week of March 3. The Dean's List student and Jacket Scholar also is a member of the Chi Sigma Alpha Honor Society. He enters his junior campaign with a 30-21 singles mark and an 18-10 doubles slate.
Liebler, who carries a 3.39 grade point average and is a double major in business and sport management, had a 3.597 grade average last season. He played fourth singles and No.2 doubles. He enters his junior season with a 22-15 singles mark and a 20-9 doubles record.
BW has a long history of success both academically and athletically, including producing more CAPITAL ONE Academic All-America student-athletes than any other OAC school and the second most of any Division III school in the State f Ohio.
All four, Harris, Ganim, Katz and Liebler return in 2015-2016, and another outstanding season is predicted.
