Courtesy of North Carolina Central Athletic Communications


TEMPE, Ariz. — The Intercollegiate Tennis Association announced its 2020 ITA Division I regional award winners and the North Carolina Central men's tennis team was recognized as the ITA Community Service Award winner for the Carolina Region.
 
The Eagles accumulated 556 hours of community service work in 2019-20 under the leadership of veteran head coach D. Curtis Lawson, assistant coach John McLean IV and graduate assistant Gabriel Cucalon.
 
"Our team routinely performs community service projects each year, but this year we decided that in the absence of being able to compete on the tennis courts we would redirect our competitive spirit by giving back to the community," said Lawson.
 
NCCU men's tennis participated in a total of eight documented community service projects of the academic year. Those volunteer hours included: a tennis clinic at the Durham 150th Anniversary Tennis Festival; a tennis clinic for the Boys & Girls Club of Durham and Orange Counties; a housing project for Habitat for Humanity in Durham; tennis lessons at the International Tennis Carnival; litter pickup for the NC Adopt-a-Highway Program; visiting patients at the local Brian Center Southpoint and giving them flowers and signed tennis balls; participating in Breast Cancer Awareness/Education on campus while honoring the cause and month by wearing Breast Cancer Awareness wristbands; and supporting the Union Baptist Church Holiday Expo.
 
"Our fall 2019 season began with an unprecedented number of injuries that resulted in cutting our fall tournament schedule in half," said Lawson. "In an effort to turn lemons into 'limon'ade, we decided to make the best of our time and talents by participating in the ITA Community Service Challenge sponsored by Limoneira."
 
The Eagles were honored for their contributions in that challenge by being selected one of three recipients of an ITA grant that based upon participation in the third annual ITA Community Service Month Presented by Limoneira during the month of October. NC Central men's tennis accrued community service hours from five projects just in that month during the challenge.
 
"Back in the fall our team was recognized by the ITA with a $500 grant for our community service in the Social Media category," said Lawson. "…and to now receive the Community Service Award for the Carolina Region is very humbling and a high honor for our program and NCCU. I'm extremely proud of the dedicated efforts of our players and staff."
 
The eight Eagles on the men's tennis roster that sacrificed their time to volunteer were senior Sebastian Bromley, senior Pablo Juez Torres, senior Brooks Campbell, junior Miles Clark, sophomore Amit Baran, sophomore Christos Dagklis, sophomore Thanos Spyropoulos and freshman LaQuon Gilchrist.
 
Despite the shortened spring season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ITA is proud to recognize the hard work on and off the court from our deserving student athletes with its regional award winners. Those regional awards announced were the Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship, ITA Rookie of the Year, ITA Player to Watch, ITA Most Improved Senior, ITA Senior Player of the Year, ITA Community Service Award, and ITA Rafael Osuna Sportsmanship Award. The full list of regional award winners can be viewed HERE.
 
The national winners of those awards will be announced next Monday, May 25 at 8 a.m PDT during a special virtual awards ceremony. The awards ceremony can be viewed on the ITA's Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube.