June 3, 2008

BEAUMONT - Lamar University tennis players Maria Gutierrez, Filip Kanczula and David Wanja were named to the 2008 Capital One Southland Conference all-academic teams for women's and men's tennis.

Gutierrez, a junior from San Antonio, Venezuela, who has a 3.88 GPA in civil engineering, earned first team academic all-conference honors. This is the second straight year she has earned academic all conference honors. She is also a two time CoSIDA District VI University Division second team selection.

On the court Gutierrez had a strong junior season for the Lady Cards, putting together a record of 19-4 for the year while playing predominately at No. 4. During Southland Conference play she went 8-2, with a 7-2 record at No. 4, and a 1-0 record at No. 3. For the year she went 11-4 at No. 4, 6-0 at No. 3, 1-0 at No. 2 and 1-0 at No. 5.

She helped the Lady Cardinals to the best finish in school history and a trip to the NCAA Tournament after they captured their first Southland Conference Tournament crown. They posted a season record of 24 wins and three losses, just two wins shy of the school record of 26 wins set by the 1983 team that went 26-9.

Kanczula, a senior from Wroclaw, Poland, was named to the men's academic all-conference team after posting a 3.56 GPA in business.

Kanczula was tabbed the 2008 Southland Conference Men's Tennis Player of the Year after earning first team honors at No. 1 singles and at No. 1 doubles with partner Maciej Bogusz. He finished the year with a 4-2 record in SLC play and an overall record of 10-11 all at the No. 1 position.

Wanja, a senior from Katy, Texas, was named to the academic all-conference team after posting a 3.74 GPA in business.

On the court, Wanja, along with doubles partner Mario Janjic, was selected to the SLC second team at No. 3 doubles after going 4-1 in conference play. As a junior he earned second team all-conference honors at No. 4 singles.