AUSTIN, Texas – The 2022-23 CSC Academic All-America Men’s Tennis Teams were announced Wednesday and Gustavus senior Nick Aney (Rochester) was selected as the Division III recipient of the Academic All-America of the Year award. Aney, who receives the College’s 130th CSC Academic All-America honor, is the first student-athlete in school history to be selected as the Academic All-American of the Year (an award that started in 1987-88) and is the first three-time First Team Academic All-American.
Nick Aney
Aney, a biochemistry major with a 3.99 GPA, earns his third consecutive First Team Academic All-America award. Aney is a three-time All-American after reaching the quarterfinals of the 2023 NCAA Doubles Championships with partner Daniel Fouchier. Aney also reached the semifinals of the 2021 NCAA Doubles Championships with partner Alex Budde, and finished in the top eight at the 2021 ITA Cup after upsetting the No. 1-ranked team in the country in the first round. Aney received the 2022 MIAC Arthur Ashe Award and is a two-time MIAC Elite 22 Award winner. Aney has posted a career singles record of 48-38 and is 71-35 in doubles play. He has helped the Gusties win conference championships in both the regular season and playoff in 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023, and capped his senior season by clinching the match point in an upset win over defending national champion Chicago to go to the Elite Eight. In the latest ITA Division III rankings, Aney and Fouchier are No. 13 in the nation in doubles, while Aney is the No. 4 singles player in the Central Region.
“This is a remarkable achievement for Nick,” Head Coach Tommy Valentini said. “We are proud of all he’s accomplished on the court and in the classroom throughout his great career at Gustavus. He will go down as one of the most decorated student-athletes in our program’s history, and this award is a great finish for him. He’s been a fantastic example of hard work, balance and perseverance for us, and has set a great example for future generations of Gustavus tennis family members. He exemplifies our values on the court and has applied them beautifully as a student and community member. He and our program are honored and grateful for this wonderful recognition.”
Gustavus’s 130 CSC Academic All-America honors rank first in the MIAC (52 more than the next institution), 13th in NCAA Division III, and 38th among all NCAA divisions. Aney earns the Gustavus men’s tennis program’s 13th CSC Academic All-America honor. The men’s tennis program has now gone five consecutive years with an Academic All-American after Chase Johnson and Michael O’Neil were selected Second Team in 2019, O’Neil First Team in 2020, and Aney First Team in 2021 and 2022.
After earning First Team honors the last two years, Aney joins an exclusive group of four Gustavus student-athletes to earn three CSC Academic All-America honors. The others are gymnast Amanda Parker (2003, 04, 05), baseball player Ben Sherer (2004, 05, 06), and softball player Rachael Click (2007, 08, 09). Aney is the first student-athlete in school history to earn three First Team honors.
To be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.50 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.