Four named ITA Scholar-Athletes

INDIANOLA, Iowa - Current women's tennis player Jill Berner, along with former players Jess Nims, Alissa Nance and Jackie Suckow all earned Intercollegiate Tennis Association Scholar-Athlete honors for their efforts during the 2008 school-year, as announced by the ITA Monday.

In order to earn ITA Scholar-Athlete status a player must meet the following criteria: 1.) be a varsity letter winner, 2.) have a grade point average of at least 3.50 (on a 4.00 scale) for the current academic year, and 3.) have been enrolled at their present school for at least 2 semesters (including freshman thorough senior year).

"I'm very proud of these girls on quite an accomplishment," women's tennis coach Lindsay Chase said. "They are great role models and really exemplify the definition of student-athlete; they always work hard on the court and in the classroom."

Berner, a rising junior, charted the third-most wins on the team in 2008, going 11-7 overall while competing at the No. 3 spot for most of the season. Her 5-4 conference record tied for the team-lead in IIAC victories with Nance and rising sophomore Lynae Gruber.

Nance led the team with a 13-8 record, while Nims and Suckow went 1-15 and 3-13, respectively, facing the stiffest competition by playing in the top two slots for the Storm. Nance and Suckow teamed up for a team-leading 12-8 record in doubles, while the combination of Berner and Nims went 5-12.

The Storm, which went 7-11 overall and 5-4 in the IIAC last season, finished the conference season in fifth place. Simpson begins the 2009 season against Buena Vista in Storm Lake Sept. 2 before its home-opener Sept. 5 against Graceland.