SOMERSET, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson men's and women's tennis teams earned the Northeast Conference's (NEC) Team GPA Awards for the 2016-17 season as announced by the conference on Thursday afternoon.
 
The FDU women boasted a 3.7 team grade point average, while the men accumulated a 3.695 cumulative score.
 
On his team's success in the classroom, FDU assistant tennis coach Jacob Mishkin said, "First of all, our ladies deserve this recognition. Throughout the year, they talked about achieving this goal and they accomplished it. Our newcomers came in and embraced the challenge, our returning players led by example, and our academic support staff of Nikki Heinel and Alyssa Sceppaguercio were key in keeping things organized during a very busy year. Proud of this group."
 
In addition to their success in the classroom, the FDU women's tennis team advanced to the NEC Championship this season after defeating Wagner and Bryant in the quarterfinal and semifinal matches.
 
Regarding the men's team, Mishkin said, "Our men were so keen on achieving this task. We traveled a great deal this year and I know that could have taken a toll on them but it didn't. They were responsible in emailing their professors and touching base with Nikki and Alyssa. Friendly competition is great and I know as a group, each player made sure they were putting in the time. Happy to see their hard work come to fruition."
 
The FDU men also performed well on the court this season, topping Mount St. Mary's in the opening round of the NEC Championships before suffering a hard-fought loss to Bryant in the semifinals.
 
Building on this year's success, the future is bright for the men's team as they welcome in a top 25 mid-major recruiting class for the upcoming season.