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4 Earn Academic All-Big 12 Team Recognition

Posted at 2:05 PM, Apr 25, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-25 15:05:12-04

Four Baylor women’s tennis student-athletes were selected to the Academic All-Big 12 Team, the league office announced on Tuesday.

Senior Blair Shankle, sophomore Karina Traxler and junior Theresa Van Zyl are first team selections for maintaining cumulative GPAs of 3.20 or higher. Sophomore Elizabeth Profit is a second team honoree for having a cumulative GPA between 3.00-3.19. Shankle is a three-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree, while Van Zyl earns recognition for the second time. Traxler and Profit are first time selections.

Shankle enters the postseason with a No. 5 singles ranking. She is 25-4 on the year, with a 15-2 dual record and a 7-1 Big 12 mark. The two-time All-American is one of nine players in program history to record 100 career singles wins and also tied the program record for highest national ranking (No. 4) earlier this season.

Traxler has contributed for Baylor primarily in the doubles lineup, having the most success at No. 1 doubles with Shankle. The duo has posted a 6-1 record with a 3-0 mark against ranked opponents, all in conference play. In singles, Traxler is 6-7 on the year, 2-3 in dual match play and 1-0 in the Big 12.

Van Zyl has clinched a team-high nine dual matches this season for Baylor. She owns an 18-6 singles mark on the year, is 14-5 in dual match action and is 4-2 against Big 12 opponents. Van Zyl has played doubles with four partners this year, having the most success with Profit, 9-2. The duo is undefeated, 3-0, in conference action.

Profit is 11-9 on the season with a 6-8 dual match record and a 2-3 record in Big 12 play. She has competed in the top four singles spots for Baylor this year. In doubles, Profit is ranked No. 47 nationally when teamed up with Shankle. The pair is 9-6 with a 7-2 mark in tournament play this year. Most recently paired with Van Zyl, Profit has had success with a 9-2 record overall and 3-0 Big 12 mark.

The Big 12 recognized 40 women, 32 appearing on the first team and eight landing on the second team. To qualify, student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of their team’s scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.

No. 18 Baylor enters the 2017 Big 12 Championship as the No. 3 seed and will open postseason play at 4 p.m. (CT) on Friday, April 28 against No. 6 seed Oklahoma. The Lady Bears, who enter the tournament with a 20-5 record, have won eight Big 12 Championships in program history.