Waterville, ME - Four Vermont State University Lyndon men's tennis players were recognized by the North Atlantic Conference when the conference announced its annual awards today. Joseph Patrick Osborn (Norwich, VT) was selected as the NAC's Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year. Jeffrey Blais (Newport, VT) and David Gratton (Newport, VT), were both named to the All-Conference Team as singles players and were also named All-Conference as a doubles team. Stephen Wutzl (Brookfield, CT) was named to the Sportsmanship Team.
Osborn, a senior Atmospheric Sciences major with a concentration in broadcasting, competed primarily at fifth singles this season, his second with the program. He was 2-4 overall and 2-2 in NAC matches. He also split time between second and third doubles, with an overall 2-5 record. He was 2-2 in NAC play teaming with Matthew McGeehan (Milford, CT). Osborn has excelled in the classroom, earning a 3.81 grade point average to date. He has been a Dean's List student every semester of his college career. He is the vice president of Lyndon's American Meteorological Society/National Weather Association chapter, and has previously served as the chapter treasurer. He planned and ran the Northeast Storm Conference and has worked as a freelance meteorologist for ABC/FOX television in Burlington, VT.
Blais, a junior, repeats as an All-Conference singles selection, having also earned the honor in 2023. He was Lyndon's first singles player this season, as well as half of the Hornets' first doubles team. Blais posted a 7-5 record in singles, including a 6-2 mark in North Atlantic Conference play. He was the NAC's Co-Player of the Week for the week ending April 14th.
Gratton, a sophomore, also repeats as an All-Conference singles player. He played second singles this season in addition to first doubles. He was 7-5 as a singles player, including a 6-2 mark in NAC matches.
Blais and Gratton were 7-4 as a doubles team, including 6-2 in NAC play.
Wutzl, a junior competing at the college level for the first time, played primarily third singles and second doubles. He posted a 4-8 overall record and a 3-5 confeerence record in singles and a 3-9 overall record and a 3-5 conference record in doubles. Selection to the NAC Sportsmanship Team is reserved for student athletes who have distinguished themselves through demonstrated acts of sportsmanship and ethical behavior. The honorees are individuals who have positively affected the tennis culture and match environment and whose behavior clearly demonstrates sportsmanship and integrity that goes beyond the playing rules and etiquette.
Lyndon finished the season with a 4-8 overall record. The Hornets were 4-4 in NAC play, good for third place in the conference. Osborn will be graduating later this month, but Blais, Gratton, and Wutzl are expected to return in 2025 and be part of the core of the team.
