WALTHAM, Mass. – The Intercollegiate Tennis Association announced on Friday that the Brandeis University men's tennis team was honored with the 2022 Steve Wilkinson Team Sportsmanship Award winners after showing great attitude all throughout the 2022 ITA Division III National Men's Team Indoor Championship.
The Steve Wilkinson Team Sportsmanship Award was introduced in 2015 and is dedicated to the memory of the long-time Gustavus Adolphus Golden Gusties head coach and founder of Tennis & Life Camps, Steve Wilkinson.
"It's an honor to receive this award and to know that other coaches see the hard work our team puts in to playing fairly," said Brandeis third-year head coach Pauri Pandian. Over the course of the National Indoor Championship, in tense, pressure-filled moments, our character and culture came through over and over, both in wins and losses. We talk often about the fact that how we handle ourselves in adverse situations is a reflection of our character, and I'm proud that our desire to win hasn't superseded our efforts to do things the right way."
The Judges, after falling in a tight 5-4 match to Trinity on the opening day of competition, bounced back in a big way on Day Two of the Indoor Championship taking down Gustavus 6-3 to advance to the fifth-place match on the final day of competition.
The award is presented to the team that has displayed exceptional sportsmanship, character, and ethical conduct in the true spirit of competition and college tennis during the ITA Division III National Men's Team Indoor Championship each year.
Brandeis is currently 7-3 on the season. The Judges were ranked #9 in Division III in the latest ITA national poll.