(Portions of this story courtesy of the Southwestern University Sports Information Department)
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Southwestern University's Alexis Dimanche was chosen to receive the 2020 ITA National Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership and Sportsmanship Award. and is the first Southwestern tennis player ever to claim this national recognition.
He won the national honor after taking the Division III West Region's Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership and Sportsmanship Award just last week.
This prestigious award, which dates back to 1982, is presented to men and women 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.
Dimanche is the seventh Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) student-athlete to win this award since 1995 - joining Nicolas Moreno of Trinity University (2014), Erick DelaFuente of Trinity University (2013), Michael Rardon of DePauw University (2011), Marshall Kuresman of DePauw University (2005), Sloan Rush of Trinity University (2001) and Chris Zolas of Trinity University (1996) in earning the prestigious distinction.
Dimanche finished his 2020 season with a 5-1 singles record, ranking No. 27 in men's tennis singles in the final ITA poll and also placed No. 7 in the ITA West Region ITA ranking.
He also earned the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) 2019-20 Academic All-District First Team honors with an at-large bid. Dimanche was one of 16 male student-athletes from NCAA Division III District 8 to receive the award.
Dimanche will continue his education in a Ph.D. program for Biomedical Engineering at the University of Texas.