TEMPE, Ariz. – In what has become almost commonplace for the Lamar University men's tennis team under the direction of head coach Scott Shankles, the Cardinals have once again been named an Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-Academic Team. In addition to the team award, five players have also been named ITA Scholar-Athletes.
 
Senior Jonah Smith, sophomore Stefano Chappuis, freshmen Fabian Anthin, Lukas Hamacher and Santiago Ledesma each earned individual honors for the Red and White.
 
"I'm very happy for our team," said Shankles. "Everyone sees the hard work and determination on the court on match day but rarely do they see the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes – classes, studying while traveling, practice, etc. These guys are called student-athletes for a reason. It's an honor to see them be recognized by their peers for all of their hard work."
 
To receive the All-Academic team award, a program must achieve and maintain a 3.2 – or better – grade-point average for the entire academic year. Each student-athlete must be on the team's intuitional eligibility form and each player's GPA is counted.
 
To receive the individual honor, student-athletes must have at least a 3.5 grade-point average for the enter academic year.
 
The 2025 honor comes on the heels of a 2024 season that saw four Cardinals named to the academic squad. The Cardinals won 14 matches this past season advancing to the Southland Conference Championship tournament.