SKILLMAN, N.J. – The ITA announced today that Edward La Cava of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Graham Edgar of the University of North Florida have been selected as the 2012 Wilson/ITA National Promoter of the Year Award winners.
The Wilson/ITA National Promoter of the Year Award recognizes individuals who promote the game of tennis at the collegiate level by devoting consistent time and effort to promotional activities and who support and bring awareness to either their school program or to the sport as a whole. Two categories of collegiate promoters have been established: Varsity Team Managers and Varsity Student-Athletes. One individual from each category – La Cava and Edgar, respectively – have been selected to receive a paid summer internship at Wilson’s global headquarters in Chicago, Ill.
Edward La Cava is currently a senior at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, where he has served as team manager for the past two seasons. La Cava played for the Stags his first two years at CMS before moving over to the team manager position. He is responsible for all home match preparations, including serving as the PA announcer for team lineups and introductions, managing the live scoring, and serving as the liaison to the officials for all matches. He also handles all stringing responsibilities for the team.
La Cava has been instrumental in bringing attention to the Stags’ men’s tennis team through traditional and social media outlets. He handles all score reporting, as well as the maintenance of the team’s Facebook page as a tool to promote the CMS program.
“I am very excited for the opportunity to work with Wilson Sporting Goods,” La Cava said. “As a long-time tennis equipment lover, it is a great opportunity. I want to thank the ITA for allowing me to have this experience. I am looking forward to my summer working at the Wilson Headquarters in Chicago.”
Graham Edgar is a first-year student in the MBA program at the University of North Florida Graduate School. Graham was sidelined for his senior season due to a serious knee injury that threatened to end his playing career. Thanks to his impressive work ethic, he has been able to not only overcome the injury, but earn a spot in the singles and doubles lineup for an Ospreys squad that broke inside the Campbell/ITA Men’s Team Rankings top 50 earlier this season.
Edgar’s enthusiasm and passion for the sport are evident to anyone who knows him. While balancing a graduate-level MBA course load, he always finds time to make up for any missed practices by getting out on the courts in the morning before class or in the evening. He has managed to prioritize his time to maximize his capabilities both in the classroom and on the court.
“I am excited to have the opportunity to work and learn at the offices of the #1 brand in tennis, Wilson Sporting Goods,” Edgar stated. “I want to thank Wilson and the ITA for providing this world class internship. I feel very honored to be selected from so many great student athletes, and can’t wait to represent my team at North Florida.”
“Our congratulations to Graham and Edward,” David A Benjamin, Executive Director of the ITA, said. “This unique Wilson/ITA National Promoter of the Year Award presents a wonderful opportunity for students to be recognized for their promotional efforts of their varsity tennis programs and tennis in general. Both Graham and Edward have been outstanding in their efforts to promote collegiate tennis, and this award will provide them with a great experience as summer interns with Wilson Sporting Goods, a leader in the tennis industry.”
“On behalf of Wilson Sporting Goods, I would like to congratulate Edward and Graham for their outstanding efforts and commitments in promoting their varsity sports programs and college tennis,” Cy Dofitas, Wilson Sports Goods’ U.S. Promotions Coordinator for Racquet Sports, stated. “As recipients of the 2012 Wilson/ITA Promoter of the Year Award, they will have a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience and work with the #1 Brand in the Tennis Industry. We are looking forward to having them join us this summer at the Wilson Headquarters in Chicago.”
As the governing body of collegiate tennis, the ITA promotes both the athletic and academic achievements of the collegiate tennis community. The ITA, which is comprised of nearly 1,700 men’s and women’s varsity coaches representing over 1,200 institutions, administers numerous regional and national championships and the Campbell/ITA College Tennis Rankings for over 15,000 college varsity student-athletes at the NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and Junior College levels. The ITA also has a comprehensive awards program for players and coaches to honor excellence in academics, leadership and sportsmanship. The official ITA Web site is www.itatennis.com.
Wilson Racquet Sports is a division of Chicago-based Wilson Sporting Goods, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of sports equipment and owned by Amer Sports. Wilson designs, manufactures and distributes sporting goods throughout the world and focuses on making technologically advanced products which help players of all levels perform better. Wilson’s core sport categories include: Football, Basketball, Baseball, Volleyball, Soccer, Youth Sports, Uniforms/Apparel, Golf, Footwear and Racquet Sports (Tennis, Racquetball, Squash, Badminton and Platform Tennis). For more information, visit www.wilson.com.
