IRVING, Texas - The Baylor men's tennis team placed four student-athletes on the Academic All-Big 12 Team, league officials announced Wednesday.
Julian Lenz, Felipe Rios, Max Tchoutakian and Will Little were selected to the Academic All-Big 12 first team. The Bears have now had at least two honorees in 14 consecutive seasons.
Lenz, a senior finance and entrepreneurship major, is the No. 15th ranked singles player in the country. He owns a 17-3 dual-match singles record and is 3-0 in Big 12 play. He has 11 wins over ranked opponents this season. The Giessen, Germany, product, has had major success in doubles with an 18-3 mark with four different teammates.
Lenz partnered with Little to be the No. 21 ranked doubles tandem, knocking off two ranked opponents for a 10-3 dual-match record. This is the third straight year Lenz has been named to the Academic All-Big 12 first team.
Rios maintains a 12-7 dual-match singles record at the No. 3 spot for the Bears. The senior is a finance major from Vina Del Mar, Chile. He has teamed with Jimmy Bendeck for much of the season in doubles, tallying a 7-7 record. This is Rios’ second-straight season receiving first team honors.
Tchoutakian is the 87th-ranked singles player in the latest ITA rankings. Playing primarily at the No. 2 spot, he boasts a 13-5 singles record and is the winner of three matches over ranked opponents. He also partners with freshman Tommy Podvinski for the No. 77 doubles ranking. This is Tchoutakian’s first academic team selection.
Little, a redshirt freshman pre-business major from Joplin, Mo., is also a first-time selection for Academic All-Big 12 honors. Before his season-ending injury, Little teamed up with Lenz to be the No. 21 ranked doubles team in the country, posting a 10-3 record. He also tallied a 7-4 record in dual-match singles play.
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. First-team honorees have a 3.20 GPA or higher. 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.
Next up, Baylor closes the regular season with a Big 12 matchup against No. 4 TCU in Fort Worth Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. Then, BU will prepare for the Big 12 Championship, which takes place April 29-May 1 in Stillwater, Okla.
