Two outstanding Tar Heel student-athletes are being recognized for their achievements on the field and in the classroom.

Sara Daavettila of women’s tennis and Chris Gray of men’s lacrosse, both of whom graduated from Carolina in 2021, were named Academic All-Americans Monday by the Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America. Daavettila was named to the third team and Gray to the second team.

They are the third and fourth Tar Heels to earn the honor for the 2020-21 academic year, as Brianna Pinto and Rachel Jones of the women’s soccer team were both also named Academic All-Americans.

Daavettila and Gray were the only ACC student-athletes in their respective sports to earn the honor. Gray is the first UNC men’s lacrosse player to be named an Academic All-American since 1996.

Daavettila, a communications major, was named the 2021 ACC Player of the Year and is the only women’s tennis player in the history of UNC to reach three NCAA quarterfinals. The UNC women’s tennis team won three ITA Indoor National Championships during her time at Carolina, and her 149 career wins rank second in program history.

Gray, a management and society major, was named ACC Offensive Player of the Year and Men’s Lacrosse Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2021 while leading UNC to the Final 4 for the first time since 2016. He also earned national honors as a first-team All-American and won the Tewaaraton Award, given annually to the most outstanding players in men’s and women’s lacrosse. He will return to UNC for the 2021-22 academic year to pursue his MBA at the Kenan-Flagler Business School.

 

Featured image via Carolina Athletics

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