Five from Carson-Newman Men’s and Women’s Tennis garner Academic All-District honors from College Sports Communicators
Hala Awad, Kira Baacke, Leah McBride, Maria del Mar Sarda Marti, and Leonard Baecker were chosen to 2025-26 Academic All-District® teams.
GREENWOOD, Ind. – Hala Awad, Kira Baacke, Leah McBride, Maria del Mar Sarda Marti, and Leonard Baecker were chosen to 2025-26 Academic All-District® teams.
The 2025-26 Academic All-District® Men's and Women's Tennis Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. To be eligible for this award, student-athletes must have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average, competed in 90 percent of the institution's games, or started in at least 66 percent of the contests.
This is the second year in a row the tennis program has had five or more selections to the All-District Team.
This is the second straight year McBride, Mar Sarda Marti, and Awad have been selected to the organization's All-District team, and this is the first time Baecker and Baacke have been recognized. To add on, Hala Awad will be in contention for an Academic All-American honor pending the vote of CSC Members.
Hala Awad adds this award to a growing list of accolades from her senior season. Awad was 12-1 this year at first singles. The Egyptian has the 4th best winning percentage in a single season in Carson-Newman Women's Tennis history. She is the first Eagle to earn a spot on any all-conference first team since 2022. In her two seasons with the Eagles, Awad has gone 21-4 across her matches. She is the owner of Carson-Newman Women's Tennis's highest career singles record, having won 84% of her singles matches.
Maria del Mar Sarda Marti's selection comes on the heels of a senior season where the Spaniard was 7-6 in singles play and 7-8 in doubles. She was an All-Conference selection every year of her college tennis career (including her two seasons with Quincy) aside from this year. Her Academic-All District selection is for the second year in a row.
Leah McBride's junior season included a 6-8 record in singles play overall with a winning record in conference play. In doubles, the Johnson City native was 8-8 on the year and earned her second nod to the CSC teams.
Kira Baacke was 2-6 in her singles play this season and played in nearly every doubles match for the Eagles. She was 4-4 against SAC opponents in doubles play. The junior earned her first recognition to the academic all-district teams this season.
As the lone honoree from the men's team, Leonard Baecker spent his sophomore season as a captain for the Eagles. Baecker played the majority of his singles matches between 3rd and 4th singles, and was 7-6 on the year overall.
College Sports Communicators will announce the women's Academic All-American team on June 2, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET.
