Michigan State University Athletics
Jack Winkler Receives ITA National Most Improved Senior Award
6/13/2022 1:15:00 PM | Men's Tennis
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Jack Winkler of Michigan State men's tennis was named the ITA National Most Improved Senior following his incredible senior comeback campaign, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association announced Monday.
Read the full ITA release here.
The award comes on the heels of Winkler earning a trio of ITA regional awards last week, including Regional Most Improved Senior, the Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award and the Rafael Osuna Award. It was just the second time in men's tennis program history that a Spartan has received regional recognition from the ITA, and the first since Mashiska Washington was named Midwest Rookie of the Year in 1993.
This is the first ITA national award received by a men's tennis player in Spartan history.
"I am so grateful to be winning the ITA Most Improved Senior award," said Winkler, who was medically sidelined for two seasons before returning to the court in 2021-22. "It's a true honor and a testament to the work that I've put in over the past year. All I wanted to do this year was work as hard as I could to try and get this team to win matches, and I guess these are some of the things that come along with doing that. A lot of credit has to go to my teammates for helping to push me even when I didn't feel like it. They are the reason why I empty the tank every single day."
Winkler, a Birmingham, Michigan native, became the first Spartan to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors since 2015 after playing at No. 1 singles this past season. He wrapped up his senior season with a 10-11 record in dual matches, with nine of those wins being earned in singles action on the top court.
Winkler is also a four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and the recipient of the 2022 Gwendolyn Norrell Community Service and Leadership award from Michigan State Student-Athlete Support Services. The senior graduated this spring with a degree in Finance.
He has accomplished all of this while overcoming adversity and setbacks in his own personal health journey. Winkler was forced to forgo playing his junior and senior years due to a battle with ulcerative colitis. After being medically sidelined in 2019-20, Winkler served as a volunteer assistant coach and continued to be an important leader for the Spartans. It was questionable whether or not he would recover enough to return to the court, but he bounced back better than ever and commandeered both the No. 1 singles and doubles courts this year for the Green & White.
"This is an incredible honor for Jack," said Gene Orlando, who retired as head coach of the Spartans on April 30. "It has been a long journey for him, especially during his two and a half years unable to compete due to his life-threatening disease. This adversity and experiencing multiple setbacks on the way to recovery certainly changed his perspective and his purpose and was the fuel to this unbelievable comeback! Jack Winkler is a true Spartan warrior."
Read the full ITA release here.
The award comes on the heels of Winkler earning a trio of ITA regional awards last week, including Regional Most Improved Senior, the Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award and the Rafael Osuna Award. It was just the second time in men's tennis program history that a Spartan has received regional recognition from the ITA, and the first since Mashiska Washington was named Midwest Rookie of the Year in 1993.
This is the first ITA national award received by a men's tennis player in Spartan history.
"I am so grateful to be winning the ITA Most Improved Senior award," said Winkler, who was medically sidelined for two seasons before returning to the court in 2021-22. "It's a true honor and a testament to the work that I've put in over the past year. All I wanted to do this year was work as hard as I could to try and get this team to win matches, and I guess these are some of the things that come along with doing that. A lot of credit has to go to my teammates for helping to push me even when I didn't feel like it. They are the reason why I empty the tank every single day."
Winkler, a Birmingham, Michigan native, became the first Spartan to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors since 2015 after playing at No. 1 singles this past season. He wrapped up his senior season with a 10-11 record in dual matches, with nine of those wins being earned in singles action on the top court.
Winkler is also a four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and the recipient of the 2022 Gwendolyn Norrell Community Service and Leadership award from Michigan State Student-Athlete Support Services. The senior graduated this spring with a degree in Finance.
He has accomplished all of this while overcoming adversity and setbacks in his own personal health journey. Winkler was forced to forgo playing his junior and senior years due to a battle with ulcerative colitis. After being medically sidelined in 2019-20, Winkler served as a volunteer assistant coach and continued to be an important leader for the Spartans. It was questionable whether or not he would recover enough to return to the court, but he bounced back better than ever and commandeered both the No. 1 singles and doubles courts this year for the Green & White.
"This is an incredible honor for Jack," said Gene Orlando, who retired as head coach of the Spartans on April 30. "It has been a long journey for him, especially during his two and a half years unable to compete due to his life-threatening disease. This adversity and experiencing multiple setbacks on the way to recovery certainly changed his perspective and his purpose and was the fuel to this unbelievable comeback! Jack Winkler is a true Spartan warrior."
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