Tempe, AZ – The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (“ITA”) is pleased to announce the 2025 ITA NAIA Men’s National Award recipients. Every year the ITA recognizes coaches and student-athletes for their excellence both on the court and in their communities throughout the season.
The NAIA national awards include: ITA Coach of the Year, ITA Assistant Coach of the Year, Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship, ITA Rookie of the Year, ITA Most Improved Player, ITA Senior Player of the Year, and the ITA Player to Watch.
Continue reading below to find out more about each of the 2025 ITA National Award winners:
ITA Coach of the Year
Drew Dickens | Southeastern University
Drew Dickens from Southeastern University has been named the 2025 ITA NAIA Men’s Coach of the Year. Taking over the program back in 2019, Dickens has helped lead the Fire to the NAIA National Championship in each season with him at the helm. This season, the Fire are having one of their best seasons to date. Entering the NAIA National Championship 16-2 overall, Dickens and his team handed Keiser their first ever Sun Conference loss earlier this year with a 4-3 victory on their home courts. Finishing as runners-up in the Sun Conference Tournament, Dickens helped lead Sam Reeder to being named the Sun Conference Freshman of the Year, while four players earned first or second team all-conference honors.
ITA Assistant Coach of the Year
Santiago Bracco | Lindsey Wilson College
Santiago Bracco from Lindsey Wilson College has been named the 2025 ITA NAIA Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year. Behind his guidance the Lindsey Wilson team has reached new heights during the 2024-25 season, currently holding a 15-3 record on the season. With their only two NAIA losses coming at the ITA National Team Indoor Championship, Lindsey Wilson has won 15 straight matches to close out the year. At the Mid-South Conference Tournament, Bracco and his team defeated Freed-Hardeman and Cumberland (TN) to claim the title. Lindsey Wilson now heads into the NAIA Championship as the No. 6 seeded team and will look to make a deep run as they battle for the red banner in Mobile.
ITA Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award
Austin Swing | Lewis-Clark State College
Austin Swing from Lewis-Clark State College has been named the 2025 ITA NAIA Men’s Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award winner. Joining the program as a high school state champion, Swing has brought a winning attitude to the Lewis-Clark team, helping them climb back into the Top 25 Rankings during the 2025 season. Bringing relentless energy to every practice and match, Swing pushes all of his teammates to achieve the very best they can and has been voted team captain for the culture he has helped create during his time on the team. In the classroom, Swing has worked just as tirelessly maintaining a 3.95 GPA and is always available to help when teammates need help on a variety of subjects. Working in the community as well, Swing has volunteered with a number of organizations in the local community and understands the value of community service.
ITA Rookie of the Year
Santiago Passoni | Lindsey Wilson College
Santiago Passoni from Lindsey Wilson College has been named the 2025 ITA NAIA Men’s Rookie of the Year. In his first season, Passoni has gone 14-2 from the No. 2 and No. 3 singles positions. Going unbeaten in Mid-South Conference play, Passoni was named the 2025 Mid-South Conference Freshman of the Year while also earning First Team All Mid-South Conference. Passoni has been an integral part of the Lindsey Wilson team that has gone 15-3 this season, including winning each of their past 15 matches. Lindsey Wilson enters the NAIA Championship as the No. 6 seeded team and will look to make a deep run as they battle for the red banner in Mobile.
ITA Most Improved Player
Diego Menendez | Southeastern University
Diego Menendez from Southeastern University has been named the 2025 ITA NAIA Men’s Most Improved Player. As the team captain, Menendez has been reaching new heights during his final season with the Fire. Compiling a 27-3 overall record in singles and doubles this season, Menendez has only gone to a third set in one match this season in which he beat No. 2 ranked Shaheed Alam of Keiser. Menendez is the first player in program history to achieve 100 career wins and was named First-Team All-Sun Conference for the third consecutive season. Headed into the NAIA Championships, Menendez currently ranks No. 6 in the ITA Singles Rankings and No. 3 in the ITA Doubles Rankings.
ITA Senior Player of the Year
Perry Gregg | Holy Cross College
Perry Gregg from Holy Cross College has been named the 2025 ITA NAIA Men’s Senior Player of the Year. As one of the best players in NAIA tennis over the past four seasons, Gregg has been a familiar face in the ITA Singles Rankings over the years and has helped Holy Cross College reach new heights as a team. As a NAIA All-American each of his first three seasons at Holy Cross, Gregg has won the ITA Cup NAIA Singles Championship in 2023 and has earned ITA Rookie of the Year honors over his career. This season, Gregg helped leaded Holy Cross to another CCAC Championship. In the rankings, Gregg currently ranks No. 20 in singles and No. 2 in doubles heading into the NAIA Tennis Championships.
ITA Player to Watch
Islam Orynbassar | William Carey University
Islam Orynbassar from William Carey University has been named the 2025 ITA NAIA Men’s Player to Watch. Named the SSAC Player of the Year, Orynbassar has gone 13-2 in singles play this spring primarily from the No. 1 singles position. Helping his team achieve an impressive 15-2 record this season, Orynbassar and William Carey have been crowned SSAC Regular Season and Conference Tournament Champions. In the national rankings, Orynbassar currently ranks No. 8 in the ITA Singles Rankings and has continuously shown growth over his first two seasons. William Carey and Orynbassar now head into the NAIA Championship as the No. 8 seed and will look to challenge other top teams for a national title over the next few days.
