DePaul University Athletics
Avgeri Makes History as BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year
7/28/2021 1:01:00 PM | ATHLETICS, MEN'S TENNIS, WOMEN'S TENNIS, ACADEMICS
Men's tennis standout Fran Tonejc earns BIG EAST Institutional Scholar-Athlete Award
CHICAGO – Aspasia Avgeri racked up another high-powered postseason award on Wednesday---and this one is unprecedented in DePaul and BIG EAST history.
The BIG EAST Player of the Year in women's tennis was honored as the BIG EAST Overall Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year by the conference. She becomes the first DePaul student-athlete male or female to win the prestigious award and the first female tennis player in BIG EAST history to earn the top honor.
It is the latest tribute to this epitome of an elite student-athlete who has ascended to the heights of her collegiate sport on the court and in the classroom.
Along with the overall award, Avgeri also took home the BIG EAST Female Institutional Scholar-Athlete Award. Men's tennis player Fran Tonejc was DePaul's BIG EAST Male Institutional Scholar-Athlete Award winner.
Each institutional award winner receives $2,000 toward graduate or professional studies. The Overall Scholar-Athlete Award winner also receives an additional $2,000 for a total of $4,000.
In addition to the BIG EAST's financial award, Tonejc has earned an NCAA postgraduate scholarship from the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Committee in recognition of his excellence in athletics and academics.
The one-time NCAA non-renewable scholarships of $10,000 are awarded three times a year corresponding to each sport season (fall, winter and spring). Each sports season there are 21 scholarships available for men and 21 scholarships available for women for use in an accredited graduate program.
Tonejc is working towards his master's degree in Applied Mathematics and posted a 3.825 grade-point average for 2020-21.
Last week, Avgeri won the 2020-21 BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Award for women's tennis, being recognized for outstanding achievement in academics, athletics and community service.
Four other Blue Demons (Rutendo Chimbaru/women's indoor track & field), (Ashton Colaire/men's indoor track and field), (Lexi Held/women's basketball) and Vito Tonejc (men's tennis) also earned the honor as DePaul tied for the highest total among BIG EAST schools.
A graduate student from Athens, Greece, Avgeri was honored as the BIG EAST Player of the Year after leading DePaul to a runner-up finish at the April 26 BIG EAST Championship in Cayce, S.C.
A unanimous pick by conference coaches for All-BIG EAST First Team, Avgeri was equally brilliant in the classroom with a sparkling 3.953 undergraduate grade-point average and a perfect 4.0 grad school GPA studying for her master's degree in Finance.
Avgeri was recognized nationally as a member of the 2020-21 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Scholar-Athlete team and was selected by her fellow student-athletes at DePaul as the Female Player of Year encompassing all Blue Demon sports.
In addition, she has been named to the CoSIDA 2020-21 Academic All-District® Women's At-Large First Team as voted upon by members of the college sports information directors association.
Avgeri is now eligible for the Women's At-Large Academic All-America Team selected by CoSIDA's membership. The All-America Team will be announced on Aug. 6.
A victory over Butler All-BIG EAST First Team selection Natalie Boesing in the conference quarterfinals extended Avgeri's winning streak to 10, and she wound up winning 10 of her final 11 matches. That winning streak spanned 11 weeks.
She also teamed with Maddie Yergler to go a team-best 11-4 in doubles.
Her most notable singles win came on April 9 in Cincinnati with a 6-4, 7-6(7-5) triumph over Xavier's nationally ranked Ahmeir Kyle.
Overall, Avgeri finished with an 11-3 record at No. 1 singles and was 5-1 against BIG EAST opponents including the postseason.
"Aspa does it all," said Blue Demon tennis coach Marisa Arce. "She is the prime example of a student-athlete. She does everything flawlessly.
"What truly sets her apart is that she is also the best teammate. Aspa excels on and off the court, but still always has time for others. If you need anything, Aspa is always there and willing to help or support.
"Aspa couldn't be more deserving of these awards as she represents DePaul Athletics, DePaul women's tennis and DePaul University remarkably. I'm so proud of her and everything she's accomplished both on and off the court."
Tonejc was a key component in the greatest season in DePaul men's tennis history helping lead the Blue Demons to their first BIG EAST Championship title and first berth in the NCAA tournament.
The graduate student from Zagreb, Croatia teamed with Tripp Tuff to win all three doubles matches at the BIG EAST Championship April 23-26 at Cayce, S.C.
Tonejc played a vital role in DePaul finishing with a sparkling 15-7 team record including 3-1 in the BIG EAST regular season. Overall, the Blue Demons were 6-1 against BIG EAST opponents including the postseason.
Tonejc and Tuff went 10-6 in doubles this spring and Fran teamed with his younger brother Vito Tonejc for a 3-2 doubles mark.
BIG EAST Overall Scholar-Athlete Award
Female Winner – Aspasia Avgeri, DePaul (Women's Tennis)
Male Winner – Marcelo Rocha, Providence (Men's Track & Field)
2020-21 BIG EAST Institutional Male Scholar-Athlete Awards
School Name, Sport
Butler---Michael Cascino, Men's Golf
UConn---Omar Gebril, Indoor Track & Field
Creighton---John Sakowski, Baseball
DePaul---Fran Tonejc, Tennis
Georgetown---Jake Carraway, Lacrosse
Marquette---Joseph Keys, Outdoor Track & Field
Providence---Marcelo Rocha, Outdoor Track & Field
St. John's---Matthew Forster, Soccer
Seton Hall---Andreas Nota, Soccer
Villanova---Jaydn Anczarski, Outdoor Track & Field
Xavier ---Alex Sironen, Swimming & Diving
2020-21 BIG EAST Institutional Female Scholar-Athlete Awards
School, Name, Sport
Butler---Stephanie Rodriguez, Soccer
UConn---Melina Couzis, Soccer
Creighton---Naomi Hickman, Volleyball
DePaul---Aspasia Avgeri, Tennis
Georgetown---Jenna Menta, Soccer
Marquette---Emma Moravec, Outdoor Track & Field
Providence---Julia Murphy, Softball
St. John's---Gretchen Bowie, Softball
Seton Hall---Cristina Fernandez, Cross Country
Villanova---Paige Rauch, Softball
Xavier ---Morgan Tinsley, Golf
BIG EAST Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year
Year, Name, School, Sport
1985: Leigh Curl, Connecticut, Basketball
1986: Joanne Keehs, Villanova, Track & Field
1987: Karen Ferreria, Providence, Volleyball
1988: Noreen Coughlin, Pittsburgh, Volleyball
1989: Vicki Huber, Villanova, Track & Field
1990: Siobhan Gallagher, Providence, Track & Field
1991: Cami White, Providence, Field Hockey
1992: Kelly Larkin, Syracuse, Field Hockey
1993: Nnenna Lynch, Villanova, Track & Field
1994: Allison Williams, Pittsburgh, Track & Field
1995: Becky Spies, Villanova, Cross Country/Track & Field
1996: Najuma Fletcher, Pittsburgh, Track & Field
1997: Jen Renola, Notre Dame, Soccer
1998: Charity Wachera, West Virginia, Track & Field
1999: Gladys Ganiel, Providence, Cross Country/Track & Field
2000: Jenny Streiffer, Notre Dame, Soccer
2001: Ruth Riley, Notre Dame, Basketball
2002: Jarrah Myers, Notre Dame, Softball
2003: Erin McIntyre, Rutgers, Swimming & Diving
2004: Vanessa Pruzinsky, Notre Dame, Soccer
2005: Nicole Lee, Georgetown, Cross Country/Track & Field
2006: Kelly Harrigan, Rutgers, Swimming & Diving
2007: Jessica Javelet, Louisville, Field Hockey
2008: Jillian Drouin, Syracuse, Track & Field
2009: Jennifer Kleinhans, Connecticut, Field Hockey
2010: Meagan Dooley, Pittsburgh, Volleyball
2011: Maya Moore, Connecticut, Basketball
2012: Natalie Kulla, Marquette, Soccer
2013: Sam Roecker, Providence, Cross Country/Track & Field
2014: Emily Sisson, Providence, Cross Country/Track & Field
2015: Shelbey Manthorpe, Seton Hall, Volleyball
2016: Rachel Daly, St. John's, Soccer
2017: Lauren Smith, Creighton, Volleyball
2018: Alexis Walkden, Seton Hall, Softball
2019: Taryn Kloth, Creighton, Volleyball
2021: Aspasia Avgeri, DePaul, Tennis
Note: In 2019-20, the BIG EAST did not present the Male or Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
*Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the BIG EAST Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field Championships were not held this season. Additionally, Georgetown did not compete in certain Olympic sport seasons. It was important to the BIG EAST Academic Awards Committee to continue to acknowledge the academic accomplishments of these student-athletes.
The BIG EAST Player of the Year in women's tennis was honored as the BIG EAST Overall Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year by the conference. She becomes the first DePaul student-athlete male or female to win the prestigious award and the first female tennis player in BIG EAST history to earn the top honor.
It is the latest tribute to this epitome of an elite student-athlete who has ascended to the heights of her collegiate sport on the court and in the classroom.
Along with the overall award, Avgeri also took home the BIG EAST Female Institutional Scholar-Athlete Award. Men's tennis player Fran Tonejc was DePaul's BIG EAST Male Institutional Scholar-Athlete Award winner.
Each institutional award winner receives $2,000 toward graduate or professional studies. The Overall Scholar-Athlete Award winner also receives an additional $2,000 for a total of $4,000.
In addition to the BIG EAST's financial award, Tonejc has earned an NCAA postgraduate scholarship from the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Committee in recognition of his excellence in athletics and academics.
The one-time NCAA non-renewable scholarships of $10,000 are awarded three times a year corresponding to each sport season (fall, winter and spring). Each sports season there are 21 scholarships available for men and 21 scholarships available for women for use in an accredited graduate program.
Tonejc is working towards his master's degree in Applied Mathematics and posted a 3.825 grade-point average for 2020-21.
Last week, Avgeri won the 2020-21 BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Award for women's tennis, being recognized for outstanding achievement in academics, athletics and community service.
Four other Blue Demons (Rutendo Chimbaru/women's indoor track & field), (Ashton Colaire/men's indoor track and field), (Lexi Held/women's basketball) and Vito Tonejc (men's tennis) also earned the honor as DePaul tied for the highest total among BIG EAST schools.
A graduate student from Athens, Greece, Avgeri was honored as the BIG EAST Player of the Year after leading DePaul to a runner-up finish at the April 26 BIG EAST Championship in Cayce, S.C.
A unanimous pick by conference coaches for All-BIG EAST First Team, Avgeri was equally brilliant in the classroom with a sparkling 3.953 undergraduate grade-point average and a perfect 4.0 grad school GPA studying for her master's degree in Finance.
Avgeri was recognized nationally as a member of the 2020-21 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Scholar-Athlete team and was selected by her fellow student-athletes at DePaul as the Female Player of Year encompassing all Blue Demon sports.
In addition, she has been named to the CoSIDA 2020-21 Academic All-District® Women's At-Large First Team as voted upon by members of the college sports information directors association.
Avgeri is now eligible for the Women's At-Large Academic All-America Team selected by CoSIDA's membership. The All-America Team will be announced on Aug. 6.
A victory over Butler All-BIG EAST First Team selection Natalie Boesing in the conference quarterfinals extended Avgeri's winning streak to 10, and she wound up winning 10 of her final 11 matches. That winning streak spanned 11 weeks.
She also teamed with Maddie Yergler to go a team-best 11-4 in doubles.
Her most notable singles win came on April 9 in Cincinnati with a 6-4, 7-6(7-5) triumph over Xavier's nationally ranked Ahmeir Kyle.
Overall, Avgeri finished with an 11-3 record at No. 1 singles and was 5-1 against BIG EAST opponents including the postseason.
"Aspa does it all," said Blue Demon tennis coach Marisa Arce. "She is the prime example of a student-athlete. She does everything flawlessly.
"What truly sets her apart is that she is also the best teammate. Aspa excels on and off the court, but still always has time for others. If you need anything, Aspa is always there and willing to help or support.
"Aspa couldn't be more deserving of these awards as she represents DePaul Athletics, DePaul women's tennis and DePaul University remarkably. I'm so proud of her and everything she's accomplished both on and off the court."
Tonejc was a key component in the greatest season in DePaul men's tennis history helping lead the Blue Demons to their first BIG EAST Championship title and first berth in the NCAA tournament.
The graduate student from Zagreb, Croatia teamed with Tripp Tuff to win all three doubles matches at the BIG EAST Championship April 23-26 at Cayce, S.C.
Tonejc played a vital role in DePaul finishing with a sparkling 15-7 team record including 3-1 in the BIG EAST regular season. Overall, the Blue Demons were 6-1 against BIG EAST opponents including the postseason.
Tonejc and Tuff went 10-6 in doubles this spring and Fran teamed with his younger brother Vito Tonejc for a 3-2 doubles mark.
BIG EAST Overall Scholar-Athlete Award
Female Winner – Aspasia Avgeri, DePaul (Women's Tennis)
Male Winner – Marcelo Rocha, Providence (Men's Track & Field)
2020-21 BIG EAST Institutional Male Scholar-Athlete Awards
School Name, Sport
Butler---Michael Cascino, Men's Golf
UConn---Omar Gebril, Indoor Track & Field
Creighton---John Sakowski, Baseball
DePaul---Fran Tonejc, Tennis
Georgetown---Jake Carraway, Lacrosse
Marquette---Joseph Keys, Outdoor Track & Field
Providence---Marcelo Rocha, Outdoor Track & Field
St. John's---Matthew Forster, Soccer
Seton Hall---Andreas Nota, Soccer
Villanova---Jaydn Anczarski, Outdoor Track & Field
Xavier ---Alex Sironen, Swimming & Diving
2020-21 BIG EAST Institutional Female Scholar-Athlete Awards
School, Name, Sport
Butler---Stephanie Rodriguez, Soccer
UConn---Melina Couzis, Soccer
Creighton---Naomi Hickman, Volleyball
DePaul---Aspasia Avgeri, Tennis
Georgetown---Jenna Menta, Soccer
Marquette---Emma Moravec, Outdoor Track & Field
Providence---Julia Murphy, Softball
St. John's---Gretchen Bowie, Softball
Seton Hall---Cristina Fernandez, Cross Country
Villanova---Paige Rauch, Softball
Xavier ---Morgan Tinsley, Golf
BIG EAST Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year
Year, Name, School, Sport
1985: Leigh Curl, Connecticut, Basketball
1986: Joanne Keehs, Villanova, Track & Field
1987: Karen Ferreria, Providence, Volleyball
1988: Noreen Coughlin, Pittsburgh, Volleyball
1989: Vicki Huber, Villanova, Track & Field
1990: Siobhan Gallagher, Providence, Track & Field
1991: Cami White, Providence, Field Hockey
1992: Kelly Larkin, Syracuse, Field Hockey
1993: Nnenna Lynch, Villanova, Track & Field
1994: Allison Williams, Pittsburgh, Track & Field
1995: Becky Spies, Villanova, Cross Country/Track & Field
1996: Najuma Fletcher, Pittsburgh, Track & Field
1997: Jen Renola, Notre Dame, Soccer
1998: Charity Wachera, West Virginia, Track & Field
1999: Gladys Ganiel, Providence, Cross Country/Track & Field
2000: Jenny Streiffer, Notre Dame, Soccer
2001: Ruth Riley, Notre Dame, Basketball
2002: Jarrah Myers, Notre Dame, Softball
2003: Erin McIntyre, Rutgers, Swimming & Diving
2004: Vanessa Pruzinsky, Notre Dame, Soccer
2005: Nicole Lee, Georgetown, Cross Country/Track & Field
2006: Kelly Harrigan, Rutgers, Swimming & Diving
2007: Jessica Javelet, Louisville, Field Hockey
2008: Jillian Drouin, Syracuse, Track & Field
2009: Jennifer Kleinhans, Connecticut, Field Hockey
2010: Meagan Dooley, Pittsburgh, Volleyball
2011: Maya Moore, Connecticut, Basketball
2012: Natalie Kulla, Marquette, Soccer
2013: Sam Roecker, Providence, Cross Country/Track & Field
2014: Emily Sisson, Providence, Cross Country/Track & Field
2015: Shelbey Manthorpe, Seton Hall, Volleyball
2016: Rachel Daly, St. John's, Soccer
2017: Lauren Smith, Creighton, Volleyball
2018: Alexis Walkden, Seton Hall, Softball
2019: Taryn Kloth, Creighton, Volleyball
2021: Aspasia Avgeri, DePaul, Tennis
Note: In 2019-20, the BIG EAST did not present the Male or Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
*Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the BIG EAST Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field Championships were not held this season. Additionally, Georgetown did not compete in certain Olympic sport seasons. It was important to the BIG EAST Academic Awards Committee to continue to acknowledge the academic accomplishments of these student-athletes.
Players Mentioned
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