TEMPE, Ariz. – The Carleton College men's tennis program earned the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) All-Academic Team Award for the 23rd time since 2002, easily the highest figure among MIAC men's programs. Additionally, seven individuals were named ITA Scholar-Athletes, marking the 14th consecutive year with at least five Knights taking home that accolade.
In recognition of outstanding academic achievement during the 2025-26 season, the ITA All-Academic Team Award is given to programs with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.20 or higher.
Since 2002, Carleton has earned the ITA's All-Academic Team honor 23 times compared to 63 combined occasions for the other nine current MIAC men's programs over that same span. No other conference squad has won more than 14 awards over that same time period.
To be recognized as a Scholar-Athlete, players must have at least a 3.50 GPA for the current academic year. This year's individual honorees from Carleton include:
Zach Leslie '26,
Jack Rivkin '26,
Baiyun Jing '27,
Ezra Bernhard '28,
Akshay Garapati '28,
Owen Heidtke '28, and
Yihe Zhang '29.
Leslie earned Scholar-Athlete honors for the third time. Bernhard, Garapati, and Rivkin collected their second ITA academic awards, while Jing and Zhang received their first career academic awards from the ITA.
With the Carleton women also garnering the ITA's All-Academic Team Award, this marked the 15th straight year and the 23rd time over the last 25 seasons that both Knight tennis programs captured the ITA All-Academic Team Award.
The Knights' success in the classroom matched their excellence on the court during the 2025-26 season. They owned an 18-7 ledger, advanced to the finals of the MIAC Playoffs, and concluded the campaign ranked No. 46 in the nation by the ITA.
