William Jewell's Nikki Chambers and Paul Worstell earn ITA Awards

William Jewell senior women's tennis player Nikki Chambers has been named as the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Central Region's International Tennis Association/Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award winner for 2011.

“This is a great honor for Nikki and for our program,” said head coach Paul Worstell. “Nikki is such an outstanding leader on our team and she is also an outstanding student. This says a lot about Nikki since this was voted on by opposing coaches in our region.”

The ITA/Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award recognizes outstanding individuals in all divisions at the regional and national level. This award which dates back to 1984, goes to NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and JuCo men's and women's players who have exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and leadership as well as scholastic, extracurricular and tennis achievements.

Following the conclusion of one of the most successful years in William Jewell women's tennis history, head coach Paul Worstell was named NAIA Wilson ITA/Central Region Women's Coach of the Year. This marks the first time Worstell has received a coach of the year honor from the region.

Worstell guided the Cardinals to a 17-7 mark, a Heart of America Athletic Conference Title and a berth in the NAIA National Tournament May 16-21 in Mobile, Ala. Worstell currently sports a 95-51 (.650) record in six seasons at the helm of the women's tennis team.

Both Chambers and Worstell were honored at the NAIA National Championship banquet on Monday, May 16, 2011 in Mobile, Ala.

As the governing body of collegiate tennis, the ITA promotes both the athletic and academic achievements of the collegiate tennis community. The ITA, which is comprised of nearly 1,700 men's and women's varsity coaches representing over 1,200 institutions, administers numerous regional and national championships and the Campbell/ITA College Tennis Rankings for over 20,000 college varsity student-athletes at the NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and Junior College levels. The ITA also has a comprehensive awards program for players and coaches to honor excellence in academics, leadership and sportsmanship. The official ITA web site is www.itatennis.com.

Print Friendly Version