July 29, 2004

NORFOLK, VA -- Niklas Oskarsson (Halmstad, Sweden), member of the CAA runner-up men's tennis team, four-time CAA Women's Tennis Player of the Year Nataly Cahana (Qiriat Bialik, Israel), and teammate Barbara Kerner (Herxheim, Germany) each were named Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Scholar-Athletes.

In order to earn ITA Scholar-Athlete status a player must meet the following criteria: 1.) be a varsity letter winner, 2.) have a grade point average of at least 3.50 (on a 4.00 scale) for the current academic year, and 3.) have been enrolled at their present school for at least two semesters.

Oskarsson, an international business major, compiled a 13-9 overall singles record, which included a 4-2 mark during fall tournament competition. In doubles, he earned a 14-12 overall mark, including a 10-7 record at No. 1 doubles during the spring along with teammate Izak van der Merwe (Kempton Park, South Africa). Oskarsson helped the Monarchs earn a 12-9 overall mark during the dual meet season and a final ranking of #55 in the ITA Poll. This award marks his second straight ITA Academic Honor.

Cahana earns her fourth straight academic honor from the ITA and was not only named the CAA Scholar-Athlete winner for women's tennis for two seasons, but was named the CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2004. The international business major made the CoSIDA Academic All-District squad in 2003 and was also a Virginia Academic All-State pick. This past season she was ranked 30th nationally by the ITA and was selected as the ITA East Region Senior Player of the Year. Cahana reached the second round of the NCAA Singles Championship in 2004 and won the ITA East Regional earlier this season. She compiled a career singles record of 143-28 as the most prolific Lady Monarch in women's tennis history.

Kerner posted a 7-8 overall singles mark and an 8-10 doubles mark for the Lady Monarchs in the 2003-04 campaign. The sports management major helped Old Dominion to an 8-12 overall mark in her first season of collegiate competition.