image via Yamlak Tsega
Courtesy XULA Athletics
Xavier University of Louisiana’s Nereo Suarez was selected to the 2023-24 NAIA Academic All-America® men’s tennis second team by the College Sports Communicators.
The Academic All-America® award recognizes student-athletes for outstanding achievements in the classroom as well as in competition. Nominees must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale, and they must have participated in at least 50 percent of the team’s competitions. They also must have completed at least one full calendar year at their current institution and reached sophomore athletic eligibility.
Suarez is a business finance major from Santa Fe, Argentina. He is a junior on the 2024-25 Gold Rush team. This past season his other honors included NAIA All-America and first-team All-Louisiana. Suarez helped the Gold Rush qualify for NAIA nationals for the 15th consecutive time.
Including the three NCAA divisions, 69 men’s tennis players out of 9,154 earned Academic All-America® in 2023-24. CSC members vote on the teams. Suarez was the only men’s tennis player from a Louisiana college or an HBCU to earn this honor in 2023-24.
CSC — formerly known as the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) — has honored more than 40,000 student-athletes since 1952 as Academic All-America® for outstanding academic and athletic achievement.
2023-24 College Sports Communicators NAIA Academic All-America® men’s tennis
First Team
Shaheed Alam, Keiser
Milan Bucek, Bethel (Kan.)
Martin Muller, Cumberlands
Mihailo Radosavljevic, Georgia Gwinnett
Bryce Ware, Kansas Wesleyan
Hung-Ju Wu, Cumberlands
Charly Zick, Georgia Gwinnett
Second Team
Daniel Alfaro, Cornerstone
Keenen Lambert, Shawnee State
Zayden Rinehart, Shawnee State
Alex Sherer, Kansas Wesleyan
Joren Stevens, Midland
Nereo Suarez, XULA
Mark Trenkle, Morningside
Team Member of the Year : Charly Zick, Georgia Gwinnett
