Gadsden State Tennis Player Wins Prestigious National Award
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association has presented a prestigious national award to a Gadsden State Community College tennis player.
Alexander Boozer, 19, has won the Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award for Region IV as well as the overall winner for the National Junior College Athletic Association. It was presented earlier this month during the annual ITA Awards Banquet in Plano, Texas.
“This is the first time in my 14 years as coach that a Gadsden State tennis player has been recognized on a national level,” said Buster Stewart, head coach of the tennis team. “We are so proud of him.”
The award recognizes outstanding individuals in all divisions at the regional and national level. The Arthur Ashe Award, which dates back to 1982, goes to NCAA Division I, II and III as well as the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes and NJCAA. It is named for Arthur Ashe, an accomplished American tennis player who won three Grand Slam titles.
“The award is given to both male and female players who have exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and leadership as well as scholastic, extracurricular and tennis achievements,” Stewart said. “It’s a big deal to win the region but it’s a great honor to win on a national level.”
Boozer, known as “Booz” to his teammates, did not get to attend the awards banquet but said he is proud to be the recipient of the award.
“I was very surprised and thrilled about the award,” he said. “I had no clue I was going to receive it so it was a pleasant surprise.”
As the winner, Boozer has been invited to participate in the annual Arthur Ashe Weekend hosted by the ITA in August. This event gives Boozer and other Arthur Ashe Award winners the opportunity to experience New York City and give back by volunteering their time on Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day, the largest single-day grassroots tennis and entertainment event in the world.
Other Arthur Ashe Award winners include Malini Wijesinghe from Bradley University and Nuno Borges from Mississippi State University, Division I winners; Sydney Homan from Wingate University and Pietro Da Silva from Palm Beach Atlantic University, Division II winners; Tess Trinka from Bowdoin College and Brady Anderson from Coe College, Division III winners; and Marissa Klein and Joel Montgomery, both from Indiana Wesleyan University, NAIA winners. Rachel Sollie from Meridan Community College is the female winner for NJCAA.
Boozer, a Moody native who graduated from Pell City’s Victory Christian Academy, played for two years at Gadsden State, where he made it to the semi-finals in singles play at the regional tournament.
“He is a player with a lot of class,” Stewart said. “He enjoyed being able to play tennis at Gadsden State and it certainly showed. Over the past two years, several coaches have commented to me about what a great person Booz is.”
In fact, it was another team’s coach that nominated Boozer for the Arthur Ashe Award – George Budelis, head coach of the tennis team at Harford Community College in Bel Air, Maryland.
“We play them every year and Coach Budelis recognized Booz’s leadership and sportsmanship,” Stewart said. “Other coaches have called me and said that this award couldn’t go to a nicer person. Other coaches have realized that he’s living right and that good sportsmanship is important to him. That says a lot about Booz as a person when you see that other people notice that in him.”
Mike Cancilla, athletic director at Gadsden State, is one of many people who have a lot of respect for Boozer.
“Alex epitomizes what the tennis team is all about,” he said. “Coach Stewart makes sure his players not only focus on their playing but also on the kind of young men they need to become. They’re good in the classroom. They are good citizens, and they’re good on the court.”
Boozer, who has maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA, is transferring to the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the fall, where he has earned a presidential scholarship and will study nursing. He said he will always remember his time at Gadsden State, where he was a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and served as a math tutor in Student Support Services.
“I was honored to play with a great coach and a great team,” he said. “This has been the best two years of my life. I’m so happy with what Gadsden State has given to me in sports and academics. It has really made a big impact on my life.”
Buster Stewart, left, head coach of the Gadsden State tennis team, and Mike Cancilla, right, Gadsden State’s athletic director, are pictured with Alexander Boozer, the regional and national winner of the Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award.
