Tuskegee University Athletics continues to strengthen its national reputation for academic excellence as both the Golden Tigers Men's Tennis and Women's Tennis programs have been recognized as 2026 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division II All-Academic Teams.

In addition to the team honors, 11 Golden Tiger student-athletes earned the prestigious distinction of being named 2026 ITA Division II Scholar-Athletes, recognizing their outstanding commitment to academic achievement while competing at the NCAA Division II level.

Women's ITA Scholar-Athletes
* Nilah Harris – Freshman/Rock Hill, South Carolina
* Taylor Ford -- Graduate Student/Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
* Gabrielle Blanks -- Graduate Student/ College Park, Georgia
* Dayna Jackson -- Graduate Student/ Power Springs, Georgia
* Chloe Harrington -- Graduate Student/ Rocky Mount, North Carolina
* Adjowa-Sika Serena Pascaline Geli -- Junior/Togolese Republic

Men's ITA Scholar-Athletes
* Thompson Thomu -- Sophomore/ Masvingo, Zimbabwe
* Kevin Wright -- Sophomore/ West Palm Beach, Florida
* Jack Shaw -- Junior/Pelham, Alabama 
* Quinten Shane Tapera -- Junior/Zimbabwe, Bulawayo
* Emmanuel Wettey -- Junior/ Accra, Ghana   
 
To qualify for ITA All-Academic Team honors, a program must achieve a cumulative team grade point average of 3.20 or higher. Student-athletes selected as ITA Scholar-Athletes must maintain at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA while meeting all ITA eligibility requirements.

The recognition places both Tuskegee tennis programs among the nation's elite NCAA Division II institutions that have demonstrated excellence both academically and athletically.

"Tuskegee University is quite proud of its reputation for scholarly athletes," said Dr. Mark A. Brown, President and CEO. "The ITA honors are a testament to our culture of excellence and the university's legacy and affirms the outstanding work of our student-athletes, Coach Gregory Green and Athletics leadership under Vice President Reginald Ruffin. We celebrate them all!"

Head Coach Gregory Green praised his student-athletes for embracing the challenge of excelling beyond the tennis court.

"Our goal has always been much bigger than winning tennis matches," Green said. "We are developing future leaders who understand that earning a Tuskegee degree is the greatest victory they will ever achieve. These young women and men have committed themselves to excellence every single day, balancing the demands of college athletics while maintaining outstanding academic performance. This recognition is well deserved, and I could not be more proud of each of them for representing Tuskegee University with class, discipline, and integrity."

Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics and Director of Athletics Reginald Ruffin said the national recognition exemplifies the culture that has been intentionally built throughout Tuskegee Athletics.

"These ITA honors represent exactly what the Renaissance Era in Tuskegee Athletics is all about," Ruffin said. "Championships are important, but our greatest responsibility is preparing young men and women to become successful leaders after graduation. When both our men's and women's tennis programs earn national academic recognition and 11 of our student-athletes are individually recognized as ITA Scholar-Athletes it validates our commitment to putting students first. I want to congratulate Coach Gregory Green, our student-athletes, and everyone who supports their success. Their dedication embodies our departmental mission: We Educate. We Dominate. We Graduate."

The ITA recognition adds to what has been one of the most successful academic years in Tuskegee Athletics history. The Golden Tigers recently led the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in overall academic performance, capturing conference academic honors across multiple sports while earning the highest combined GPA among men's sports, women's sports, and the overall student-athlete population.

As Tuskegee University continues its Renaissance Era in Athletics, academic success remains the foundation upon which championship programs are built. The achievements of the men's and women's tennis programs demonstrate that excellence in competition begins with excellence in the classroom.
The continued success of Tuskegee Athletics reflects the University's unwavering commitment to producing graduates who are prepared to lead, serve, and excel in every aspect of life.