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The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) is happy to announce the selections of Michael Zheng (Columbia) and Oyinlomo Quadre (Florida International) as the 2024 ITA All-American Championships Sportsmanship Award winners.
Awarded at the conclusion of the ITA All-American Championships, the Sportsmanship Award recognizes two student-athletes who exemplify the spirit of college tennis and show great sportsmanship throughout the tournament.
As the men’s recipient, Columbia standout Michael Zheng exhibited strong sportsmanlike conduct and professionalism while making a deep run in the tournament. Reaching the Quarterfinals without dropping a set, the No. 2 seed defeated opponents from Baylor, Wake Forest, and Texas A&M before falling to TCU’s Pedro Vives in a close 4-6, 6-3, 4-6 three-set battle.
Alongside partner Hugo Hashimoto, Zheng also had an impressive run in the doubles draw, reaching the semifinals. En route to the Final Four, the duo defeated teams from Florida State, the No. 1 seeded pairing from Mississippi State, and LSU.
Zheng’s success this fall comes off a record-breaking sophomore season, having made a run to the 2024 NCAA Singles Championship final, the first player in program history to do so. Zheng was also the first player in program history to be named an All-American as a first-year and sophomore. Zheng was named First Team All-Ivy League in singles and doubles, ITA National Player to Watch, ITA Northeast Region Player to Watch, and finished the season ranked No. 10 in the final ITA Singles Rankings, the highest seasoning-ending ranking in program history.
The women’s ITA All-American Sportsmanship Award has been awarded to Oyinlomo Quadre, who displayed great respect and class on the court throughout her matches at the ITA All-Americans. In the opening round of the tournament, the junior defeated No. 11 seeded Amelia Honer of UC Santa Barbara, 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-4. Teaming up with partner Katerina Mandelikova in the doubles draw, the duo had a pair of victories, defeating UCLA’s Ahmani Guichard and Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer in the Round of 32 and Duke’s Elizabeth Coleman and Shavit Kimchi in the Round of 16, to reach the Quarterfinals.
Last season, Quadre was named First Team All-CUSA in singles and doubles along with CUSA Women’s Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Spirit of Service Award.
In the opening 2024-25 ITA Division I Rankings, Quadre came in at No. 31 in singles following an impressive performance at the 2024 NCAA Singles Championships while in doubles, Quadre and partner Katerina Mandelikova ranked No. 6 nationally after a strong showing at the 2024 NCAA Doubles Championships in the spring.
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