July 17, 2015

Full list of NCAA Division I winners

COLUMBIA, S.C. ââ’¬” South Carolina men’s tennis was named an ITA All-Academic Team for the fourth-straight season and three Gamecocks earned ITA Scholar-Athlete status, the organization announced Thursday. Senior Kyle Koch made his fourth Scholar-Athlete appearance, becoming the program’s first four-time selection. Freshmen Wood Benton and Thomas Mayronne earned the individual recognition as well.

To earn ITA All-Academic Team honors, a team must have a cumulative team grade point average (GPA) of 3.20 or higher for the current academic year. The Scholar-Athlete award goes to individuals who 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.

South Carolina closed out a tough campaign with a 15-15 record as the Gamecocks battled injuries and illness throughout the season. The team won three of its last five outings as it made a bid for an at-large spot in the NCAA Tournament, but came up just short with a final ranking of No. 50. Koch led a trio of seniors who helped lay the foundation of the program’s future, closing his career as one of the program’s most successful students and athletes by earning 2015 SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors from the league’s men’s tennis coaches and holding nine of the program’s career records. Mayronne and fellow freshman Harrison O’Keefe teamed up to form the No. 71 doubles team in the country in the final rankings, climbing as high as No. 46 prior to O’Keefe’s season-ending injury. The duo went 18-11 on the season, including a 12-7 mark in dual matches and a 4-4 slate in SEC play.

South Carolina was one of three SEC teams to earn All-Academic honors this season, while five other programs had individual Scholar-Athletes recognized.