Oklahoma State Tennis Earns 2024 ITA Academic Honors

Oklahoma State had one of the best tennis programs in the nation on and off the court.

Oct 14, 2023; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys mascot Pistol Pete walks to Boone Pickens Stadium before a game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and Kansas Jayhawks. Mandatory Credit: Nathan J. Fish-USA TODAY Sports / Nathan J. Fish-USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma State has been one of the premier tennis programs on and off the court in recent years.

Recently, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association released its list of scholar-athletes for the 2024 season. While both of OSU’s teams were represented, the men’s team had its best showing in program history.

In 2024, OSU made strides in the third season under coach Dustin Taylor as the team made it to the NCAA Tournament. With the NCAA Championships in Stillwater, the team hoped to make it past the Round of 32 and compete for a national title. 

After beating Vanderbilt in the Round of 64, the Cowboys lost in the Round of 32 to end their season. Still, an 18-10 season was another steep in the right direction for the Cowboys’ program.

Along with OSU being named one of the ITA’s All-Academic teams, 10 OSU tennis players earned Scholar-Athlete honors: Alessio Basile, Alex Garcia, Carl Roothman, Derek Pham, Erik Schiessl, Fran Pini, Isaac Becroft, Leighton Allen, Sammr Raina and Ty Wunderlich.

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Meanwhile, the Cowgirls also earned some academic honors. Two Cowgirls earned their spot on the ITA’s Scholar-Athlete list: Ava Wood and Kristinia Novak. OSU’s women’s team also earned All-Academic team honors. 

While the Cowgirls were honored for their off-court excellence, they had one of the best seasons in program history. With the NCAA Championships in Stillwater, OSU had perhaps its best chance to win a national championship.

However, the Cowgirls’ hopes came crashing down in their third NCAA Tournament match. After easily advancing into the Round of 16, OSU matched up with Tennessee and hoped to keep its undefeated season alive. 

However, Tennessee upset OSU and ended the historic season for Chris Young’s team. Still, OSU easily won a Big 12 title and won its first 29 matches of the season.

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