The minimum requirement to play NCAA sanctioned sports is at least a 2.00 grade point average. If there is such a thing as a prototypical good student athlete, Triton tennis player and India native Daniel Anthony is the man.
Anthony, senior, Management Information Systems major, is the recipient of a prestigious minority scholarship.
The Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award was given to the U. Missouri-St. Louis Tennis player in recognition of his cumulative 3.483 grade point average, according to the Tritons athletic website.
“It truly is an honor to be a recipient of this award,” Anthony said. “My parents are very proud of me.”
Lori Flanagan, UM-St. Louis Athletic Director, also shared much of the same sentiment as Anthony. “He is a real good kid who works just as hard as most of our student-athletes,” Flanagan said.
The scholarship was first established in 1992 to help minority students who exemplify the character of late tennis great Arthur Ashe who passed away in 1995. Anthony, who was one of 23 recipients of the award, was given the award for his tennis performance, grade point average, and his effort in the community, both at UM-St. Louis and elsewhere, according to the Tritons athletics website.
The senior UM-St. Louis tennis player accomplished more than excelling in the classroom last year. According to UM-St. Louis statistics, Anthony had a combined winning percentage of 87%, winning 27 of the 31 matches he played, both singles and doubles.
“We had a really good core group of players last season and my usual partner performed very well,” Anthony said. Andreas Hammar, sophomore, undecided, was not available for comment. But from the UM-St. Louis and Great Lakes Valley Conference statistics, it is easy to notice that Anthony and Hammar, who hails from Sweden, were an almost perfect match partners.
UM-St. Louis men’s tennis qualified for the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament last season, but was ousted in the first round of play. Despite the early exit, Anthony said he and his Triton teammates hoped to put on a better show and perform better next Tennis season.
“My teammates help me and everyone else out a lot. If it weren’t for them there would obviously be no team,” Anthony said.
Tritons men’s tennis will look to replace some key senior players as well. Anthony, who is one of many returning men’s players, hopes to expound on his high winning percentage next season. During his UM-St. Louis career, Anthony has been named Academic All GLVC several times and has amassed over 60 wins.
Coach Rick Gyllenborg, UM-St. Louis Head Men’s Tennis coach, was not available for comment. However, last season, Gyllenborg often mentioned that Anthony was one of the leaders of the UM-St. Louis tennis team.