MODESTO – The Modesto Junior College men's and women's tennis teams have earned several Scholar Athlete awards through the ITA (International Tennis Association). All players must have a 3.5 or above on a 4.0 scale for the 2019-2020 academic year.
WOMEN'S TEAM
Maya Young (Turlock HS) 4.0
Erika Saldivar (Central Catholic HS) 3.77
Rylee Garcia (Orestimba HS) 3.72
Jenna Carriegan (Gregori HS) 3.60
The 2020 season was cut short due to COVID-19. At the stoppage of play, the MJC women were 12-1 overall and undefeated in conference. They were ranked #3 in NorCal and 10th in the state play before the season was cancelled. The #2 player on the team, Nora Ribeiro received a partial scholarship (athletic and academic) to play at Post University in Connecticut, a Division 2 school.
MEN'S TEAM
Thomas Nomof (Archbishop Mitty) 4.0
Michael Apostol (Enochs HS) 4.0
Robert (RJ) Garcia (Orestimba HS) 4.0
Jason Eissayou (Pitman HS) 3.88
Keith (Max) Poole (Enochs HS) 3.37
Zubaidullah Hamidi (Riverbank HS) 3.22
Eli Gonzalez (Riverbank HS) 2.47
All players in bold qualified for Scholar Athlete awards. Additionally, the MJC men were undefeated in conference play and also won a Scholar Team Award through the ITA. Teams must have a GPA of 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale for the 2019-2020 academic year. The men's team average was 3.5! Michael Apostol and Eli Gonzalez have transferred to 4-year schools, San Diego State, and Sacramento State, respectively.
MJC Varsity Coach Shawn Black stated: “I’m just so proud of these students. They worked so hard on the courts and in the classroom. They exemplify what it means to be a successful student-athlete.”
(For more questions, contact Director of MJC Athletics – Nick Stavrianoudakis: stavrianoudakisn@mjc.edu .)