Pac-12 Tennis Scholar-Athletes of the Year Named

SAN FRANCISCO - STANFORD's Caroline Doyle was named the Pac-12 Women's Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year and WASHINGTON’s Gal Hakak was tabbed the Pac-12 Men's Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the 2017 season, the Conference office announced today. The award, which is presented in each of the 23 sports the Pac-12 sponsors, was established to honor collegiate student-athletes that are standouts both academically and in their sports discipline

Doyle (San Francisco, Calif.), a two-time ITA All-American in doubles, maintains a 3.87 grade point average (GPA) in International Relations and is the third Cardinal to be named Scholar-Athlete of the year with Lindsay Burdette (2010) and Krista Hardebeck (2015). A Pac-12 All-Academic first team recipient her junior season, Doyle earned a final No. 73 national ranking and provided the clinching point in two matches that season including Stanford’s NCAA quarterfinal win over Michigan. This season she went 17-10 individually is ranked No. 41 nationally. In doubles with partner Taylor Davidson, the duo has been part of 75 victories on The Farm during their careers, while also guiding the Cardinal to 13 postseason wins and last year's Pac-12 title.

Hakak (Ra'anana, Israel) has amassed 66 total wins in singles and 27 doubles wins during his career at Washington while maintaining a 3.74 GPA in economics. A Pac-12 All-Academic first team selection last season, he is currently in the UW record books with the 10th best doubles career winning percentage in school history. Hakak finished with the second most singles wins in dual matches on the team in 2015, and won 20 singles matches last season for the second time in his career.

In order to be eligible for the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, student-athletes must be a senior (in athletics eligibility) on track to receive a degree, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher, participate in at least 50% of the scheduled contests in the sport and have a minimum of one year in residence at the institution. Each Pac-12 institution may nominate one individual per sport, and the winners are selected by a committee of Pac-12 staff members at the conclusion of each sport’s regular season. The athletic accomplishments of the nominees are a consideration in the voting for the award.

A Scholar-Athlete of the Year will be named in each of the Pac-12’s 23 sponsored sports: baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, beach volleyball, men’s cross country, women’s cross country, football, men’s golf, women’s golf, women’s gymnastics, men’s rowing, women’s rowing, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, softball, men’s swimming & diving, women’s swimming & diving, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, men’s track & field, women’s track & field, women’s volleyball, and wrestling. The award was first established during the 2008-09 academic year.

Doyle, Hakak, and the rest of the Pac-12 will all be competing this week at the 2017 Pac-12 Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championship in Ojai, Calif. The Pac-12 men will compete at Libbey Park in Ojai for all rounds. The Pac-12 women will play the first two rounds plus the semifinals at the Ojai Valley Athletic Club and the Weil Tennis Academy, with the championship match taking place at Libbey Park. Both team championships on Sunday will be televised live by the Pac-12 Network with the women beginning at 3 p.m. PST and the men beginning at 6 p.m. PST.

Also Nominated Women: Lauren Marker, ARIZ; Alexandra Osborne, ASU; Brigitte Beck, COLO; Marlou Kluiving, ORE; Luisa Gerstner de Rosa, UTAH; Nour Abbesm, WASH

Also Nominated Men: Andre Goransson, CAL; Jayson Amos, ORE: Yale Goldberg, STAN; Gage Brymer, UCLA; Dan Little, UTAH.