Anderson's Carracedo and Bruning Named South Atlantic Conference Tennis Scholar-Athletes of the Year
ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Anderson's Juan Carracedo was voted the South Atlantic Conference Men's Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year, while the Trojans' Rebecca Bruning earned the women's honor, the League announced today. The pair earned the honor for their achievements in academics, athletics, service and leadership.
The South Atlantic Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is presented annually to one student-athlete in each of the Conference's championship sports, and is voted on by the SAC's Faculty Athletic Representatives Committee.
Carracedo, from Buenos Aires, Argentina, closed out his career with a 3.71 GPA as business major. He earned Dean's List honors seven times during his career and was named the Anderson Male Student-Athlete of the Year during his senior year. He also earned Chi Alpha Sigma honors during his last year at Anderson.
"Juan has a contagious smile and attitude that has helped him lead the men's program to four-straight Conference tournaments as well as getting the team back in the regional and national rankings," said Anderson head tennis coach Joey Eskridge. "Everyone that works with him on campus loves him and that goes the same for everyone involved in the tennis program at AU. Juan will never be forgotten for his time here at AU and we wish him the best in the next chapter of his life."
On the court, Carracedo earned honorable mention All-SAC singles honors after finishing the 2017 campaign at 14-7 overall and 8-3 in the League. He also posted a doubles record of 16-8 overall and 7-4 in the South Atlantic Conference.
Carracedo was a four year volunteer with the Team Community Service Mobile Food Pantry at the Capstone Baptist Church. He also helped out on Anderson basketball game days. Carracedo was a member of the Enactus Business Club as a freshman and spent the last two years as a finance, economics and calculus tutor.
Bruning, from Athens, Ga., graduated from Anderson with a 4.0 GPA in biochemistry. She earned Dean's List honors every semester she was at Anderson and was named to the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society as a sophomore, junior and senior. Bruning won the Anderson University Physics Award as a junior and garnered the Anderson University Chemistry Award as a senior.
"Rebecca is the best example of a student-athlete that our women's tennis program has ever had," said Anderson head tennis coach Joey Eskridge. "She has been ranked in singles and doubles for the past three years as well as being named an academic All-American. Rebecca has been our captain the last three years and led the programs to the most wins in a regular season that the women's team has had at the NCAA level."
She earned first team All-SAC honors at both singles and doubles during the 2017 season. Bruning's doubles tandem ranked as high as No. 7 in the Southeast as she ranked No. 19 as a singles player. She closed out her senior year with a 21-2 overall doubles record and a 10-1 record in SAC doubles play at the No. 1 flight. She played the No. 2 flight as a singles player and finished at 20-2 overall and 9-1 in SAC play. Bruning won 124 matches during her career for the Black and Gold and only lost five singles and 12 doubles matches in the South Atlantic Conference during her career.
Bruning was named CoSIDA Academic All-District in each of the past three seasons. A second team Academic All-American as a sophomore, she earned first team honors during her junior year. The 2017 Academic All-America teams are yet to be announced. She closed out her career at Anderson as the Anderson Scholar Female Student-Athlete of the Year as a senior.
Bruning was an active volunteer as a biochemistry major. She spent time volunteering at the Athens Regional Medical Neuroscience Center as well as the Anmed Hospital Cath Lab. A three year Rotract Club Member at Anderson, she served as a tennis instructor for home-schooled kids during her freshman and sophomore years. She was a four-year member of Gamma Beta Phi and spent all four years volunteering with the Team Community Service Mobile Food Pantry at the Capstone Baptist Church.
Other Men's Tennis Nominees
Henrik Helbe, Coker
Tomas Hons, Lenoir-Rhyne
Blake Covington, Mars Hill
Josh DuToit, Wingate
Other Women's Tennis Nominees
Lulia Ponomareva, Lenoir-Rhyne
Jasha Geerdink, Mars Hill
Elizabeth Williamson, Newberry
Andrea Ternera, Wingate