Photo by: Sarah Smith
Mary Lewis Earns National ITA Cissie Leary Sportsmanship Award
6/13/2022 11:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
She joins Aslina Chua (2017) as only two Spartans to earn this national honor
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Recent Michigan State women's tennis alumna Mary Lewis was honored Monday as the national winner of the 2021-22 Cissie Leary Sportsmanship Award, as announced by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).
"I thank God and all of the people who have been in my corner and have helped me grow as a person," said Lewis. "I am so grateful that they helped me get to this point, and to be able to receive this award means the world to me."
"I am so very grateful for the opportunities I have received from playing under Kim Bruno and Tyler Faulkner and the assistance they have given me through my four years at Michigan State. Thank you to Molli Munz and the training staff who assisted me with keeping me in shape. I am also ever grateful to all the athletic trainers who helped me with my injuries. I have my mother to thank for providing me with the chance to play tennis and teaching me to keep pushing forward even when times proved difficult. My sister taught me how to stand up for myself and for those who are around me. Her examples taught me so much in life and as a tennis player."
"The most meaningful thing I like to remember is no matter what the sacrifice is, it is better to give it your all and be able to say that you tried your best even if you did not accomplish anything. No matter what, you will always get the experience and the knowledge to know how to do better the next time. Each experience has taught me how to grow as a person."
It is the second-straight week Lewis has been honored by the ITA, as the organization announced last week that she was the Midwest Region's winner for the Cissie Leary Award, advancing the Spartan to the qualifying pool for the national award.
Candidates for the award are evaluated on sportsmanship and character, in particular the ability to overcome obstacles and adversity. In addition, player's performance on the court during the season as well as over their collegiate careers was factored in, as well as scholastic achievements and extracurricular honors.
Lewis is the first Spartan to earn national honors for the Cissie Leary Sportsmanship Award since Aslina Chua received it in 2016-17.
A four-year letterwinner for the Spartans and a two-time captain for Bruno's squad, Lewis concluded her collegiate career in April as one of the most accomplished players in program history.
Lewis arrived at MSU in 2018 after spending her freshman campaign at Arizona and soon entrenched herself as Michigan State's No. 1 singles player and one of the best in the Big Ten Conference.
Lewis' play with MSU earned her All-Big Ten First Team honors in 2020 and 2021, becoming only the second Spartan ever to earn first-team distinction twice in a career, following Christine Bader in 2006 and 2008. She was also the Midwest region's winner for the 2020 ITA Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award, a two-time Academic All-B1G selection, and a two-time Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree. For her career, Lewis has 35 wins on the singles court and 33 victories in doubles play.
This past season saw Lewis and her doubles partner Maja Pietrowicz enter the fall as the No. 28 pairing in the country and qualify for the main draw in both the ITA All-American Championships and the ITA Fall Nationals, with the duo ending the season 2-1 against nationally-ranked opponents. Lewis also played the No. 1 singles spot on 20 occasions, battling ranked competition five times.
Off the court, Lewis has been a member of the Diversity Leadership Committee at MSU and has helped spearhead multiple community outreach activities.
"I thank God and all of the people who have been in my corner and have helped me grow as a person," said Lewis. "I am so grateful that they helped me get to this point, and to be able to receive this award means the world to me."
"I am so very grateful for the opportunities I have received from playing under Kim Bruno and Tyler Faulkner and the assistance they have given me through my four years at Michigan State. Thank you to Molli Munz and the training staff who assisted me with keeping me in shape. I am also ever grateful to all the athletic trainers who helped me with my injuries. I have my mother to thank for providing me with the chance to play tennis and teaching me to keep pushing forward even when times proved difficult. My sister taught me how to stand up for myself and for those who are around me. Her examples taught me so much in life and as a tennis player."
"The most meaningful thing I like to remember is no matter what the sacrifice is, it is better to give it your all and be able to say that you tried your best even if you did not accomplish anything. No matter what, you will always get the experience and the knowledge to know how to do better the next time. Each experience has taught me how to grow as a person."
It is the second-straight week Lewis has been honored by the ITA, as the organization announced last week that she was the Midwest Region's winner for the Cissie Leary Award, advancing the Spartan to the qualifying pool for the national award.
Candidates for the award are evaluated on sportsmanship and character, in particular the ability to overcome obstacles and adversity. In addition, player's performance on the court during the season as well as over their collegiate careers was factored in, as well as scholastic achievements and extracurricular honors.
Lewis is the first Spartan to earn national honors for the Cissie Leary Sportsmanship Award since Aslina Chua received it in 2016-17.
A four-year letterwinner for the Spartans and a two-time captain for Bruno's squad, Lewis concluded her collegiate career in April as one of the most accomplished players in program history.
Lewis arrived at MSU in 2018 after spending her freshman campaign at Arizona and soon entrenched herself as Michigan State's No. 1 singles player and one of the best in the Big Ten Conference.
Lewis' play with MSU earned her All-Big Ten First Team honors in 2020 and 2021, becoming only the second Spartan ever to earn first-team distinction twice in a career, following Christine Bader in 2006 and 2008. She was also the Midwest region's winner for the 2020 ITA Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award, a two-time Academic All-B1G selection, and a two-time Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree. For her career, Lewis has 35 wins on the singles court and 33 victories in doubles play.
This past season saw Lewis and her doubles partner Maja Pietrowicz enter the fall as the No. 28 pairing in the country and qualify for the main draw in both the ITA All-American Championships and the ITA Fall Nationals, with the duo ending the season 2-1 against nationally-ranked opponents. Lewis also played the No. 1 singles spot on 20 occasions, battling ranked competition five times.
Off the court, Lewis has been a member of the Diversity Leadership Committee at MSU and has helped spearhead multiple community outreach activities.
In a class all her own!
— Michigan State Women's Tennis (@MSU_WTennis) June 13, 2022
Mary Lewis is the national recipient of the @ITA_Tennis Cissie Leary Sportsmanship Award, the second Spartan to ever receive the honor.
📰 https://t.co/sT8zBlklJO#GoGreen | #ITAAwards pic.twitter.com/F55tg4JaNp
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