University of the Ozarks senior tennis player Todd Turner capped a spectacular four-year career by earning Capital One Academic All-America Men’s At-Large First Team honors, the College of Sports Information Directors of America released Tuesday.
Turner, a native of Pearcy, Ark., has been among the most decorated NCAA Division III student-athletes in school history. He is a three-time Capital One Academic All-District honoree, two-time Capital One Academic All-American®, two-time American Southwest Conference (ASC) Distinguished Scholar-Athlete, four-time ITA Scholar Athlete, three-time ASC All-Academic Team member and four-time All-Conference player.
“Todd has been an exemplary student-athlete at Ozarks,” said Athletics Director Jimmy Clark. “We are proud of all his accomplishments, but this achievement stands out because of the level of difficulty it is to receive. These are the brightest and best among collegiate student-athletes. We recognize and applaud Todd for the tremendous amount of work it takes to excel in the classroom and on the court.”
During the 2015 spring season, Turner played No. 1 singles and posted a 10-4 record, the third-most wins in the ASC at that position. He and doubles partner Bishop Bass went 10-5 in No. 1 doubles, also the third-most wins in the conference. For his efforts, Turner was named to the ASC All-East Division Second Team in singles and doubles.
As the No. 1 singles player the past four seasons, Turner ranks second in program history with 38 career singles wins. He also has the second-most doubles wins in program history with 47. In 2014, he and doubles partner Bishop Bass received the program’s first-ever doubles ranking (No. 15) from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Turner guided the program to a 44-19 record and two playoff appearances over his four seasons.
A 2015 graduate with a biology degree, Turned posted a 3.9 grade point average and was the only student-athlete from the ASC to earn a spot on the national at-large team. Additionally, Turner was selected as a finalist for the Arkansas Star of Tomorrow Award last year. Turner will continue his studies at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
During the 2015 spring season, Turner played No. 1 singles and posted a 10-4 record, the third-most wins in the ASC at that position.
The Capital One Academic All-America® program honors student-athletes annually who have succeeded at the highest level in athletics and in the classroom. To be eligible for consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at their current institution and be nominated by the sports information director.
The Capital One Academic All-America® At-Large Team includes tennis, crew, golf, water polo, swimming, ice hockey, fencing, field hockey, rifle, lacrosse, skiing, wrestling and volleyball student-athletes.
Topics: Athletics