Academic recognition for little sis!

My sister, Katelyn, has spent the last five years tearing up the tennis courts at Penn State. However, now she is being recognized for her other skill... being a smarty pants!

The following article was posted on PSU's sports news page:

Four Women's Tennis Players Tabbed ITA Scholar-Athletes Nittany Lion team claims ITA All-Academic Team accolades

Aug. 11, 2008

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - The Penn State women's tennis team had four players selected as Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Scholar-Athletes and the entire team was tabbed ITA All-Academic Team. Seniors Katelyn BeVard (McLean, Va.) and Jenny Shular (Peachtree City, Ga.), junior Dorothy Dohanics (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and sophomore Julia Raezer (Narbeth, Pa.) each garnered ITA academic honors for having a 3.50 grade point average (GPA) or better. The team award is given out annually to those collegiate women's tennis squads with a cumulative team 3.20 GPA or better.

BeVard, who was a medical redshirt in 2006-07 after tearing her ACL, was 6-16 in singles action and an 8-15 mark in doubles play in her final season in the Blue and White. Shular was 15-15 in singles play, including 7-2 mark in third singles, last season. She also combined with four different partners for a 9-20 doubles record.

Dohanics was effective last season with a 13-12 singles record last season. She also posted an 11-12 mark in doubles with five different partners. Raezer, a walk-on, was 2-2 in singles and 2-1 in doubles.

The ITA All-Academic Team award is open to any ITA program that has a cumulative team grade point average of 3.20 or above (on a 4.00 scale). All eligible student-athletes whose names appear on the NCAA/NAIA/NJCAA eligibility form and have competed in one or more varsity matches must average into the GPA for the current academic year (including fall 2007 and spring 2008).

In order to earn ITA Scholar-Athlete status a player must meet the following criteria: be a varsity letter winner, have a grade point average of at least 3.50 (on a 4.00 scale) for the current academic year and have been enrolled at their present school for at least 2 semesters (including freshman thorough senior year).