July 25, 2018 Article from GOBLUERAIDERS.COM

Men’s Tennis boasts eight ITA Scholar Athletes

Blue Raiders also named an ITA All-Academic Team

photo of tennis playersMURFREESBORO - Middle Tennessee's men's tennis team was named an ITA All-Academic Team and placed eight Blue Raiders on the ITA Scholar Athlete list.

The ITA All-Academic Team award, announced by the ITA on Tuesday, is the program's seventh such award, with the first coming in 2011. Nicolas Buitrago Machado, Gian Issa, Tom Moonen, Gonzalo Morell Rashiatore, Luis Morillo Diaz, Miguel Negre Fernandez, Jacob Pugh, and Max Rauch were all named ITA Scholar Athletes. The award marks Morell, Morillo, and Negre's third in a row while Moonen and Rauch are repeat winners.

Head coach Jimmy Borendame's program earned ITA All-Academic Team status by posting a grade point average of 3.8 out of 4.0, with all letter winners being factored in. The ITA Scholar Athletes were chosen based on at least a 3.5 GPA out of 4.0 and maintaining enrollment at their school for two semesters.

"Our guys work hard all year in the classroom, and I'm proud of them for receiving this award today," Borendame said. "We strongly believe our guys are students first and athletes next."

Buitrago earned his second appearance on the C-USA Honor roll this past season along with a singles and doubles combined record of 24-14.

Issa was a member of the 2015 C-USA honor roll and finished his MTSU career No. 6 in program history in career singles wins.

Moonen received the same accolades as he did his first season, earning spots on the C-USA Second Team Singles and First Team Doubles lists along with a spot on the C-USA Honor Roll and a C-USA Academic Medal to go with the ITA Scholar Athlete award.

​​​​​​​Negre finished the year with a 3.914 GPA in mechatronics engineering/mathematics and management. The senior has been an ITA Scholar-Athlete in each of his four years at MTSU. He played in every match for the Blue Raiders this season and is 11-2 in the No. 2 spot with his doubles partner.

​​​​​​​Morell was rewarded for a stellar season on the courts with spots on the C-USA Second Team Singles and First Team Doubles for the second year in a row. Along with this ITA Scholar Athlete award, Morell has been listed on the C-USA Honor Roll three times.

​​​​​​​Morillo was recently awarded his third C-USA Academic Medal and took a spot on the C-USA Honor Roll for the third time in his career as a Blue Raider. He finished the spring 2018 season a 20-8 mark in singles.

Pugh follows up his C-USA honor roll selection with this ITA selection. The fourth year player will look to return from an injury shortened 2017-18 season.

​​​​​​​Rauch repeated the academic trifecta in his sophomore season, collecting spots on the C-USA honor roll in addition to the ITA recognition and a C-USA Academic Medal.