MELBOURNE, Fla. - Lynn University tennis athlete Leolia Jeanjean has been named the 2018-19 Sunshine State Conference Female Athlete of the Year. Jeanjean was crowned National Senior Player of the Year by the International Tennis Association (ITA) following an undefeated record in 2019.
Voting for the award is conducted among Athletic Directors, Senior Woman Administrators, Athletic Communication Directors, and Faculty Athletic Representatives from each of the 11 SSC member institutions.
Jeanjean, a product of Montpellier, France, recorded a 21-0 record at #1 singles which includes nine victories against nationally-ranked opponents. In doubles play, her 29-0 record is tops in program history, with 11 wins against national-ranked duos and all but one win coming from the #1 flight. With the play of Jeanjean, the Fighting Knights finished the season at 27-1 overall and 10-0 in the league. Lynn captured its first-ever SSC regular season title as well as its 11th conference postseason championship and followed with the South Region 2 title before concluding the season as National Runner-Up.
The senior received a plethora of accolades for her efforts on the court this season. She was a four-time recipient of SSC Athlete of the Week, All-SSC First Team Singles, All-SSC First Team Doubles, SSC Tennis Athlete of the Year, ITA Singles All-American, ITA Doubles All-American, ITA South Senior Region Player of the Year, and ITA National Senior Player of the Year. Jeanjean was nationally ranked throughout the spring season, landing at No. 6 in singles and No. 3 in doubles to end the year.
The 2019 Fighting Knights women’s tennis team captain rounds out her time at Lynn with an MBA in Finance. She is the fourth Lynn student-athlete to be honored as SSC Female Athlete of the Year
1 and first since 2013-14. She is also the third tennis student-athlete to win Female Athlete of the Year
2 since the award was established in 1987-88.
Complete Listing: SSC Athletes of the Year
1Previous Lynn winners: Jessica Bradley (Golf - 2013-14), Aimee Murch (Softball - 2004-05), Jannie Nicolaisen (1998-99)
2Sonja Larsen, Barry (2017-18) & Stacy Moss, Rollins College (1993-94, 1994-95)