Chikhaoui, Niculescu make history for XULA men

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana men's tennis athletes Samir Chikhaoui and Gabriel Niculescu made history Tuesday when they were named to the College Sports Information Directors of America Google Cloud Academic All-America^®NAIA at-large first team for 2018-19.
     
Chikhaoui, a junior from Lille, France, and Niculescu, a senior from Bucharest, Romania, are the first XULA men to be named first-team Academic All-America^®.
     
The Google Cloud Academic All-America^® award recognizes student-athletes for outstanding achievements in the classroom as well as in competition. Nominees must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale. They also must have completed at least one full calendar year at their current institution and reached sophomore athletic eligibility.
     
Chikhaoui and Niculescu helped XULA finish second at the NAIA National Championship tournament in May. Niculescu graduated summa cum laude.
     
Also notable:
     •  Chikhaoui and Niculescu are the first XULA men to make Academic All-America^®since Karan Salwan (men's tennis) in 2016-17. Salwan was XULA's first tennis player to be honored.
     •  It's the second time that XULA has two first-team Academic All-Americans^® on the same team. Catherine Fakler and Devinn Rolland did it in women's track and field/cross country in 2014-15. Fakler and Rolland are XULA's only other first-team AAA selections.
     •  Chikhaoui and Niculescu became the 10th and 11th from XULA to earn Academic All-America^®. The first was Joe Drexler-Dreis (men's track and field/cross country second team) in 2008-09. Those 11 have accounted for 15 AAA honors during the past 11 academic years.

2018-19 CoSIDA Google Cloud Academic All-America^® NAIA Men's At-Large Team

FIRST TEAM
Sport        Name                         School                   Yr.
Tennis       Stephen All                  Taylor                   Sr.
Volleyball   Jimmy Aschenbrenner (2)      Morningside              Sr.
Tennis       Samir Chikhaoui              XULA                     Jr.
Golf         Andrew Harrison              British Columbia         Sr.
Tennis       Juan Alejandro Jimenez (2)   McPherson                Sr.
Swimming     Lukas Macek                  Keiser                   Sr.
Volleyball   Andrea Maggio                Park                     Sr.
Tennis       Gabriel Niculescu            XULA                     Sr.
Tennis       Ramon Puertolas              Cumberland               Sr.
Wrestling    Riley Williams               Wayland Baptist          Sr.
Volleyball   Bobby Ying (2)               Robert Morris (Chicago)  Gr.

SECOND TEAM
Sport        Name                         School                   Yr.
Golf         Callum Blinkhorn             Lindsey Wilson           So.
Wrestling    Dylan Chatterton             Southeastern (Fla.)      Jr.
Swimming     Andrew Clifford              College of Idaho         So.
Golf         Daymond Dollens              Columbia (Mo.)           Sr.
Golf         Zack Johnson                 Embry-Riddle (Ariz.)     Jr.
Tennis       Axel Lucich                  Cumberland               Sr.
Golf         Connor Mickens               Bethel (Kan.)            Sr. 
Swimming     Clemens Paetzold             Lindsey Wilson           Sr.
Tennis       Joel Werner                  Concordia (Mich.)        Sr.

Google Cloud Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year: Jimmy Aschenbrenner, 

Morningside (2) CoSIDA Academic All-America® College Division second-team selection

 in 2018

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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