STEPHENVILLE - The Tarleton TexAnn tennis team has been given national recognition by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) as an all-academic team.

"I am extremely proud of these young ladies for achieving this award," said Tarleton head coach Lance Drake. "It is such a difficult process, but all these ladies are very determined and understand the rigors of being a student-athlete in our tennis program. They manage their time well and sacrifice other activities in order to be successful in academics. These young ladies are so deserving of this recognition.”

The entire team recorded an overall grade point average of 3.71.

In addition to the team honors, four individuals - Alicia Perez, Makenzie Mitchell, Melanie Barnes, and Kayla Deatherage - were honored as scholar athletes by the organization.

Barnes, a sophomore pre-law major from Duncan, Okla., and Mitchell, a freshman pre-med major from Mason, each recorded a perfect 4.0 gpa last semester.

The All-Academic Team designation recognizes those programs that maintain at least a 3.2 cumulative grade point average. In order to be recognized as an ITA Scholar-Athlete, an individual needs to carry a 3.5 GPA or higher for the academic year.