SKILLMAN, N.J. --- The Tusculum College men's tennis team is one of only 17 colleges and universities in NCAA Division II to be honored as an Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-Academic Team announced officials. The Pioneers also had three players earn ITA Scholar Athlete recognition including Henrique Rodrigues, Hunter Beal and Nicolas Bigler.

The ITA All-Academic Team award is presented to any ITA program that has above a 3.20 cumulative grade point average. ITA Scholar Athletes are student-athletes who are a varsity letter winner, have a GPA of at least 3.50 for the current academic year and have been enrolled at their present school for at least two semesters.

Rodrigues, a rising junior from Salvador-Bahia, Brazil) went 13-4 in singles play, including 6-1 in South Atlantic Conference matches. He was named to the All-SAC Second Team, while also earning the prestigious Duffield Academic Award, which is presented to the male and female Tusculum student-athlete with the highest GPA. This marks the second year Rodrigues has garnered ITA Scholar Athlete status.

Beal, a rising senior from Heiskell, Tenn., is making his third straight appearance on the ITA Scholar Athlete squad. Beal accounted for a 9-4 singles worksheet, including 4-2 in league play. Beal closed the season winning his final four singles matches.

Bigler, a native of Chernex, Switzerland, posted a 15-4 record for the Pioneers last year, including 5-2 in SAC matches. The 2008 All-SAC First Team selection won eight of his final nine contests. He and Beal paired up in doubles action to post an impressive 18-3 record.

The TC women also garnered ITA All-Academic Team status, making Coach Tommy Arnett's squads one of only 16 programs in the country to have both its men and women's teams honored.

The Tusculum men went 20-2 last year, establishing a pair of school records in victories (20) and won-loss percentage (.909). The Pioneers also recorded a 15-match winning streak, the longest in school history (Mar. 8 - Apr. 19). TC captured both the South Atlantic Conference regular season and tournament titles, while advancing to the NCAA II Tournament. It was Tusculum's second straight NCAA postseason appearance and sixth in the last seven years.

Tusculum ended the year ranked 34th in the nation, the best in school history. It also marked the fourth time in the last seven years that the Pioneers earned a national ranking at season's end.

Tusculum College, located in Greeneville, Tenn., is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, USA and is a NCAA Division II member of the South Atlantic Conference which is comprised of nine colleges and universities in Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.

- TC -