MSU?s Agarwal, Lakat Named Capital One Academic All-District
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Thanks to dominating performances on the court and in the classroom, Mississippi State’s Rishab Agarwal and Florian Lakat were named to the 2015 Capital One Academic All-District men’s at-large team, CoSIDA announced Thursday.
With this announcement, Agarwal and Lakat are now nominated for the Capital One Academic All-America Team, which will be announced June 11.
Agarwal, an All-SEC Second Team honoree, finished the 2014-15 season with a team-best 25-6 in singles overall and a 19-3 dual match record. The sophomore from Hyderabad, India, finished the season with a perfect 8-0 record in SEC play, one of only three players in the league to do so. His perfect showing in the SEC is the first time that an MSU player has finished perfect in the conference since 1993, when Sylvain Guichard went 10-0. He also capped his year on a 12-match winning streak.
Academically, Agarwal boasts a perfect 4.00 grade point average in business administration and is a two-time Mississippi State University Presidential Scholar honoree. He was announced as men’s tennis’ 2015 Newsom Award winner, given to the best scholar-athlete in each sport at MSU.
Lakat continues to reel in awards after an impressive sophomore season at State. An All-SEC First Team member, the Paris, France, native finished the team season with a 17-11 record and a 14-8 showing in dual match play, all coming at the No. 1 position. Lakat was also 24-11 in doubles play, with a 15-7 spring showing.
Teamed with fellow Bulldog Julian Cash, the two form the No. 6 doubles team in the nation with a 17-7 overall record and 9-4 dual match ledger. The tandem earned a 5-8 national seed in the 2015 NCAA Doubles Championship, making them the 22nd and 23rd ITA All-Americans in school history. Ranked 62nd in singles, Lakat is also a fourth alternate for the 2015 NCAA Singles Championship.
A 2014 Academic All-SEC selection and ITA Scholar-Athlete, Lakat holds an impressive 3.62 GPA, also studying business administration.
“One of the things we talk to the guys a lot about is performing well in the classroom,” MSU coach Matt Roberts said. “These guys represent Mississippi State on the court and in the classroom. Rishab and Florian have been excellent representatives of MSU in both ways.”
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