TEMPE, Ariz. – The North Carolina Central men's tennis team continues to cap a historic season with accolades as the Eagles have been honored by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association with two regional awards. Oliver Saarinen has been named the winner of the 2025 Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award in the Carolina region. The entire team received ITA Community Service honors, also representing the region.
Saarinen graduated in May with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with honors. He held the position of treasurer as a member of NCCU's executive board on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, an international business honor society. Saarinen is also a Durham Public Schools Ambassador for the Teacher of the Month program.
The three-year team captain not only led on the court, but also in the classroom and on campus, which are the focal points of the Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award.
"This prestigious award, which dates back to 1982, is presented to men's and women's student-athletes who have exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and leadership, as well as scholastic, extracurricular and tennis achievements in ways that embody the legacy of tennis icon and humanitarian Arthur Ashe Jr," as stated on the ITA website.
At this year's Eddies, the annual NCCU athletic department awards, Saarinen was named the male athlete Chancellor's Award winner, presented to the graduating senior with the highest overall grade point average. Saarinen also garnered the men's tennis Eagle Excellence Academic Award and the Debra Saunders-White Leadership Award.
Head coach D. Curtis Lawson describes Saarinen as "one of the most delightful human beings you could meet."
With this regional victory, Saarinen is now in contention for the national award, to be announced at a later date.
As a team, the Eagles' work in the community earned them top community service honors in the region. The NCCU tennis program is a community partner with Durham Public Schools, where the men's squad amassed over 50 hours of community service this academic year.
NC Central also hosts the USTA Tennis Daze event for youth and adults in the community right on campus in the fall semester. Individually, the tennis student-athletes periodically provide lessons for youth and junior players.
"Our players believed in our system, they believed in their abilities and by many measures this was a historic year," explained Lawson. "I'm incredibly proud of my players and coaches and we are humbled to receive the most recent ITA honors."
As stated on ITA's website, the community service award "honors a team that gives back to their campus and their community through tennis and non-tennis pathways."
The men's tennis program earned the small team Faculty Athletic Council Award for the highest team GPA at the Eddies. The team achieved the highest fall GPA (3.90), spring GPA (3.83) and cumulative GPA (3.86) in the athletic department. The Eagles did this in the classroom while finishing with a 17-7 overall record on the court.
"We have built a culture of 'Excellence Without Excuse' and our 2024-25 team was Eagle Excellence Personified," exclaimed Lawson. "They excelled in the classroom, in the field of competition, and positively contributed to the community."
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