by Kendis Butler '23

MIDDLETOWN, Pa. - Thanks to their combination of athletic and academic success, four players from Penn State Harrisburg's men's and women's tennis teams have earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors. The honorees include women's tennis players Breanna DeSantis and Sarah Shaub, as well as men's tennis players Derwin Merca and Nick Rohn.  

DeSantis, Shaub, Merca, and Rohn are the first players in program history to earn the prestigious distinction. The group joins former baseball standouts Bret Williams and Drew Harshbarger, men's and women's soccer players Luke Myers, Sydney Hemler, and Sarah Toche-Manley, and women's basketball players Kendis Butler and Jayla Galbreath as Penn State Harrisburg student-athletes to earn CSC (formerly CoSIDA) recognition. 

The CSC Academic All-District Men's and Women's Tennis Teams recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America program separately recognizes tennis honorees in four divisions - NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA. 

Although DeSantis and Shaub are only sophomores, they have each racked up a number of athletic accomplishments in just two years with the Lions. DeSantis has earned a total of four United East All-Conference First- and Second-Team honors in her freshman and sophomore seasons. During her rookie campaign, DeSantis was both an ITA Scholar-Athlete and a United East Scholar-Athlete. On the court, the El Paso, Texas native has spent most of her time in the No. 2 and No. 3 spots for singles play, while in the classroom she holds a GPA of 3.78 as a Kinesiology major. 

Shaub is a three-time United East All-Conference Second Team recipient for her efforts in both singles and doubles action. Like DeSantis, she also garnered ITA Scholar-Athlete and United East Scholar-Athlete honors following her freshman season. In the classroom, she currently holds a 3.92 GPA and majors in Cybersecurity Analytics and Operations. 

On the men's side, Merca has earned a total of three United East All-Conference honors during his two years at Penn State Harrisburg. In Merca's freshman campaign, he also received ITA Scholar-Athlete and United East Scholar-Athlete recognition. In the classroom, he currently holds a 3.62 GPA and is majoring in Biobehavioral Health. 

Rohn, a team captain and four-year player, is a two-time ITA Scholar-Athlete, two-time United East Scholar-Athlete, and two-time United East All-Conference honoree. The recent graduate accumulated nearly 50 total wins throughout his career. Academically, Rohn earned his degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology with a 3.58 GPA.