Drury’s Tyler Harris recognized as scholar-athlete, tennis sweeps UIS

INDIANAPOLIS–Drury cross country runner Tyler Harris has been recognized as the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Men’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the conference announced Tuesday, Feb. 24.

Harris became the fastest runner in program history last fall after breaking school records in both the 8,000 meters (23:51.13) and the 10,000 meters (30:39.20). He set the 8K record at the GLVC Championships, where he placed second to earn All-GLVC honors. The Springfield native later broke the 10K record at the NCAA West Regional, finishing eighth to earn All-Region honors and an at-large bid to the NCAA National Championship.

Harris, a junior out of Kickapoo High School, also earned a GLVC Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Week honor for his performance at Arkansas’ Chile Pepper Festival, where he placed 21st in 24:36.90.

In the classroom, Harris worked his way to a perfect 4.00 fall semester grade-point average and maintains a perfect 4.00 cumulative GPA, while majoring in architecture.

Throughout his career, Harris has earned the GLVC’s Brother James Gaffney Distinguished Scholar (for maintaining a 4.0 GPA in a given academic year) honor, three all-region selections, four All-GLVC honors, and two Academic All-GLVC citations.

Recipients for the GLVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards were honored for their efforts both in the classroom and competition in the sports of football, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball.

The league selects one student-athlete in each conference sport to be designated the GLVC Fall Scholar-Athlete. The award is based upon athletic accomplishments, both team and individual, and academic performance in the season upon which the award is based. The voting is completed by each member institution’s Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR).

Drury tennis sweeps UIS to extend hot streak

Drury tennis recorded a clean sweep in men’s and women’s matches against Illinois Springfield on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 22, at Cooper Tennis Complex.

The Drury men claimed their third-straight match with a 5-2 decision over the Prairie Stars. DU took the doubles point behind wins on the second (Chuy Gonzalez/Tristan Stock) and the third lines (Oscar Reis/Marco Romano). Romano grabbed the second point for Drury in the second singles line, topping Antonio Ayerbe Streubel in straight sets (6-0, 6-2). Matthieu Gachon won in straight sets (6-4, 6-2) to remain perfect on the season (3-0), and Reis and Gustavo Oliveira closed the match with wins on the fifth and sixth lines.

On the women’s side of the ledger, Drury improved to 3-0 for the first time in two years with a 6-1 win. DU won the doubles point with wins from its first (Naz Yaver/Antanina Novik) and second lines (Franca Piaggi/Leana Chanove). Chanove took the first singles line, winning 6-2 and 6-1. Yaver (6-1, 6-4) and Piaggi (6-1, 6-3) also won in two sets from the third and fourth lines, and Novik won a tight three-set battle as well. Ana Luisa Sathler Rosa won the Panthers’ sixth point of the afternoon from the fifth line.

Both Drury tennis squads travel to St. Louis Saturday for a 3 p.m., match with Maryville.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Drury’s Tyler Harris recognized as scholar-athlete, tennis sweeps UIS