2025-26 ITA Scholar-Athlete and All-Academic Team Awards

For the ninth straight season, the Hillsdale College men's tennis team put representatives on the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Scholar-Athlete list, while the Charger program also received recognition for its success in the classroom on Tuesday.

The Chargers were led by junior Ellis Klanduch, who was named an ITA Scholar-Athlete for the third straight season. Klanduch's honor gives him a chance to become a rare four-time honoree as a senior in 2026-27. Joining Klanduch on the team were two first-time recipients, as sophomore Ryan Papazov earned the award for the first time with a strong year in the classroom, and freshman Patrick Cretu also received the award in his first season with the Chargers.

In order to receive ITA Scholar-Athlete Honors, an athlete must be an active member of their team and maintain a 3.5 GPA or higher for the 2025-26 school year.

In total, 548 student-athletes across NCAA DII received the ITA Scholar Athlete Award for the 2025-26 campaign.

The Chargers had a strong year in the classroom across the board, easily exceeding 3.2 GPA required to earn ITA All-Academic Team honors as well. Hillsdale was one of 70 teams in NCAA DII to receive the distinction, a reflection of the program's impressive academic performance as a whole.