FGCU saw junior Max Damm (Bradenton, Fla./Saint Stephens Episcopal School), redshirt junior Pedro Maciel (Belo Horizonte, Brazil/Goliath Academy), redshirt sophomore Magnus Johnson (Naples, Fla./UCF), redshirt sophomore Juan Lopez (Gachancipa, Columbia/Colegio Virtual Siglo XXI), and 2021 graduate Felipe Ramirez (Armenia, Columbia/Florida Virtual School) all honored as ITA Scholar-Athletes. That marked the most for the program since four players earned the recognition in 2012.
"Despite the tough challenges the pandemic put on all our student-athletes, as well as our staff, our program remained successful in the classroom! I can't put into words how proud I am of the players to be able to overcome everything they had to, while maintaining their academic prowess," said head coach CJ Weber. "Monica Estes (Athletic Academic Coordinator) deserves much of the credit for her diligence in helping the guys wherever they needed. I can't help but look back on the fall when we had guys located all over the world, and she was still there for each and every one of them! For Magnus to have a 4.0 in his first year as an Eagle is quite impressive; but that should not overshadow the efforts of Pedro Maciel, Juan Lopez, Feliksas Sakalauskas, and Felipe Ramirez, who all had their most successful academic years as well!"
To be named an ITA Scholar-Athlete, students must have a grade-point-average of 3.5 for the academic year. To earn the team honor, programs need a team GPA of 3.2-or-higher for the year.
The Eagles posted a team GPA of 3.29 for the spring semester following a fall semester which saw a 3.43 semester GPA, highest among FGCU men's sports, highlighted by six student-athletes on the Dean's List.
Johnson completed the 2020-21 year with a perfect 4.0 cumulative GPA, while Lopez is just behind at 3.71. Damm's strong work in the classroom this year gives him a 3.25 cumulative GPA, while Maciel finished with a 3.28 GPA. Ramirez had a 4.0 spring term GPA to help improve his cumulative mark to 3.11.
The Eagles return the bulk of their roster from last season including Johnson who finished the 2021 campaign ranked No. 99 in the final ITA Oracle Singles Rankings following his play in the NCAA Tournament. Maciel and redshirt sophomore Randy Wilson (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic/Miami Palmetto/Louisville) also finished last season ranked No. 72 in the ITA Doubles Rankings – the duo ranked as high as No. 45 during the regular season.
Johnson finished the year 9-3 in singles play and 7-5 in doubles. Damm was 7-4 in doubles, while Maciel and Ramirez were each 3-4 in doubles action. Lopez saw action just once in singles play (0-1).
As a team, the Eagles ranked No. 65 which set a new program record after going 8-6 overall and 5-1 in ASUN play (No. 1 in the South Division). Last year, FGCU faced two top 25 teams in Texas A&M and UCF during the regular season and posted a 4-3 win at ACC foe Miami. In the ASUN tournament, the Eagles defeated North Florida and Kennesaw State to reach their fourth ASUN finals match before falling to the North's No. 1 seed Liberty.
For complete coverage of FGCU men's tennis, follow the Eagles on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FGCU_MTen and online at www.FGCUAthletics.com. You can also sign up to have news on FGCU men's tennis or other programs delivered directly to your inbox by visiting www.fgcuathletics.com/email.
CJ WEBER
FGCU is led by three-time ASUN Coach of the Year CJ Weber, who has coached 32 ASUN All-Conference selections since joining the Green and Blue in 2011. In his seventh year, Weber has compiled a 103-87 (.541) overall record and a 43-19 (.672) record in ASUN play. In 2014-15, Weber guided the Eagles to their first-ever ASUN Championship and first-ever ASUN Regular Season title after a program-best 17 wins. In his third season, Weber led Jordi Vives to a No. 35 national ranking, a nation-leading 14-match unbeaten streak and the round of 32 in the 2014 NCAA Tournament - the program's first appearance. The Eagles completed a perfect ASUN regular season in both 2015 and 2016, finishing with conference titles as well as a Coach of the Year honor for Weber. FGCU again won the 2017 ASUN Championship and made its second NCAA appearance. The Eagles returned to the mountaintop by claiming the 2019 regular season and tournament championships. Weber earned his third ASUN Coach of the Year honor and led the Green and Blue to their third trip to the NCAA Tournament.
E.A.G.L.E. CAMPAIGN
IT TAKES A TEAM to achieve our newest goal - a $10 million campaign to address student-athlete needs in continued academic success, life skills, mental health, nutrition, and strength and conditioning as well as departmental needs in facility expansion and improvement as well as mentoring and leadership training for coaches and staff. The name embodies our mission and the purpose of the E.A.G.L.E. Campaign - Eagle Athletics Generating Lifetime Excellence. Join Our Team and pledge your gift today to help the Eagles of tomorrow!
#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events in November and April to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 85 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 13+ seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just nine seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 42 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Eight FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including women's basketball (No. 21, 2020-21), beach volleyball (No. 20, 2021) and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as three of the most recent. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.50 GPA in the classroom in the fall 2020 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 24 consecutive semesters. The 2019 Fall, 2020 Spring, 2020 Fall, and 2021 Spring semesters each saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher team GPA in each. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 - being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.
Five From Men's Tennis Named ITA Scholar-Athletes - FGCU Athletics
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