SEARCY – Harding senior Rylie Cox-Evans received the Intercollegiate Tennis Association NCAA Division II Central Region Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award Tuesday. She is Harding’s first female tennis player to receive the Ashe Award. Harding head coach David Redding was the national winner in 1983.

The ITA presents the Ashe Award to men’s and women’s 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.

Cox-Evans, a native of Rockwall, Texas, compiled a 19-6 singles record and 22-5 doubles mark, playing at No. 1 singles and doubles, before the season ended following Harding’s match against Northwest Missouri State March 11. She and her doubles teammate Hana Folse tied the school record for doubles wins in a season and ranked 10th in the Central Region.

Cox-Evans transferred to Harding from Coastal Carolina following her sophomore season. As a junior at Harding, she earned First Team All-Great American Conference and ITA All-America honors in doubles.

A marketing major with a 3.84 GPA, Cox-Evans received the GAC’s Distinguished Scholar Athlete award and the co-Outstanding Marketing Student award for Harding’s College of Business.

Away from the courts, Cox-Evans has been a camp leader at the Teen Leadership Conference while at Harding. She has volunteered for Bisons for Christ and served as a mentor and coach for younger tennis players.

Cox-Evans will move to the ballot for the national Ashe Award. The ITA will announce the national award winners next Tuesday.

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RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. and KANSAS CITY, Mo. – On Tuesday, the Great American Conference and Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced a partnership in the sports of men’s soccer and men’s tennis that will combine the two leagues into one for both sports.

The GAC will administer men’s soccer and the MIAA will oversee men’s tennis, starting in the 2019-20 academic year. The respective conferences will create regular-season schedules, coordinate weekly and yearly awards, assign officials and conduct postseason tournaments.

“I’m pleased that we crafted this creative solution to provide a better student-athlete experience for GAC men’s soccer and tennis players,” GAC Commissioner Will Prewitt said.” We’re appreciative to Mike Racy and the leadership groups of the MIAA to partner with us in creating a format that will help preserve these sports and give a richer competitive experience in men’s soccer and men’s tennis. I am excited to further forge this agreement and build an even stronger relationship with our neighbors at the MIAA.”

In men’s soccer, GAC schools Harding, Oklahoma Baptist, Ouachita and Southern Nazarene will join up with MIAA members Fort Hays State, Lindenwood, Newman and Northeastern State.

“Today is a great day for MIAA men’s tennis and men’s soccer. This innovative partnership with the GAC will benefit dozens of MIAA student-athletes beginning in 2019 and help provide a competitive collegiate experience for both sports in the Midwest,” stated MIAA Commissioner Mike Racy.

In men’s tennis, Emporia State, Lindenwood, Newman, Northwest Missouri State and Washburn, from the MIAA, will pair up with Harding, Oklahoma Baptist, Ouachita, Southeastern Oklahoma State and Southern Arkansas from the GAC.

An administrator from the GAC will serve as the liaison to the men’s soccer coaches’ committee while an administrator from the MIAA will serve as the liaison to the men’s tennis coaches’ committee.

The intra-conference transfer policy for both conferences will apply – student-athletes must serve an academic year of residence if transferring from one school, in either of these two sports, to another school in the GAC or MIAA.

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ARKADELPHIA – Arkansas Tech won its fifth consecutive women’s tennis match on Sunday, defeating Northwest Missouri State, 5-3.

NEXT UP

• Arkansas Tech will travel to Pensacola, Fla. for two non-conference matches on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Golden Suns will face West Alabama on Tuesday, March 20, at 2 p.m., before taking on West Florida at 2 p.m. on Wednesday.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Golden Suns (7-1) took two of three points in doubles action, including Katharina Drebka and Kami Ward’s second consecutive win at the No. 1 doubles position.
• Katie Harris and Julia Schoch combined for an 8-5 win at No. 3 doubles, their third straight win to move to 3-0 this spring.
• After the Bearcats evened the dual, 2-2, with a win at No. 2 singles, Schoch gave the Suns back the lead with her team-leading sixth singles win of the spring.
• Kami Ward gave Tech a 4-2 lead after winning the No. 4 singles match, and Annabel Rowlands later secured the victory for Arkansas Tech with a 6-2; 6-3 win at No. 5 singles.

MATCH BREAKDOWN

• (No. 1 Doubles) – Katharina Drebka/Kami Ward (Tech) def. Luiza Souza/Julie Rinderknech (NWMSU) 8-4
• (No. 2 Doubles) – Tania Teruel/Irene Recuenco (NWMSU) def. Annabel Rowlands/Teresa Sanchez (Tech) 8-1
• (No. 3 Doubles) – Katie Harris/Julia Schoch (Tech) def. Marta Ferrando/Tess Lovig (NWMSU) 8-5
• (No. 1 Singles) – Tania Teruel (NWMSU) def. Katharina Drebka (Tech) 6-3; 6-2
• (No. 2 Singles) – Irene Recuenco (NWMSU) def. Teresa Sanchez (Tech) 6-4; 6-2
• (No. 3 Singles) – Julia Schoch (Tech) def. Marta Ferrando (NWMSU) 6-1; 6-3
• (No. 4 Singles) – Kami Ward (Tech) def. Julie Rinderknech (NWMSU) 6-2; 6-3
• (No. 5 Singles) – Annabel Rowlands (Tech) def. Tess Lovig (NWMSU) 6-2; 6-3
• (No. 6 Singles) – Megan Bell (Tech) vs. Luiza Souza (NWMSU) 6-3; 3-0, unfinished

ORDER OF FINISH

• Doubles – 2, 1, 3
• Singles – 2, 3, 4, 1, 5

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