May 17, 2012

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - UNLV men's tennis standout Rene Ruegamer was named to the 2011-12 Capital One Academic All-District 8 At-Large First Team, announced Thursday by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

The senior from Wurzburg, Germany, boasted a cumulative grade point average of 3.92 while majoring in hospitality management. Ruegamer played atop the Rebels' singles lineup this spring and earned All-Mountain West honors on the court.

He is the fifth man in UNLV tennis history to earn the CoSIDA academic all-district designation. Luca Barlocchi is the only two-time winner in 2009 and '10; Romain Massaro was named in 2006; Asaf Tishler earned his nod in 1999 and Roger Pettersson was the program's first such honoree in 1996.

As a first-team winner, Ruegamer will move forward to the national ballot for voting later this month.

CoSIDA selects Academic All-America teams in 12 programs throughout the year. Players who are starters or important reserves on their teams and are at least in their second year at a school and hold at least a 3.30 career GPA are eligible for the academic awards, which are voted on by SIDs from across the nation.

The sports covered in the at-large category of the Capital One Academic All-District Teams include women's bowling; women's crew; men's and women's fencing; women's field hockey; men's and women's golf; men's and women's gymnastics; men's and women's ice hockey; men's and women's lacrosse; men's and women's rifle; men's and women's skiing; men's and women's swimming & diving; men's and women's tennis; men's volleyball; men's and women's water polo; and men's wrestling.

UNLV's district includes four-year institutions from the states of California, Arizona, Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Nevada and Canada.

2012 Academic All-District Men's At-Large Team District 8FIRST TEAMName              School         GPA   Major                   SportNick Amuchastegui STANFORD       3.98  Mechanical engineering  WrestlingBobby Bollier     STANFORD       3.75  Mechanical engineering  SwimmingRemi Boutillier   FRESNO STATE   3.87  Business admin.         TennisPatrick Cantlay   UCLA           3.30  History                 GolfBrian Donohoe     UC SAN DIEGO   3.96  History                 Water PoloBrad Lawson       STANFORD       3.66  Science                 VolleyballAlex Lendrum      USC            3.70  Biological sciences     SwimmingDaniel Nguyen     USC            3.43  Communication           TennisRene Ruegamer     UNLV           3.92  Hospitality management  TennisAusten Thompson   ARIZONA        3.47  Molecular cellular bio. Swimming