CLAREMONT, Calif. - Ananya Sriniketh of the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's tennis team earned the National Rookie of the Year Award from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, the organization announced today. 

Sriniketh compiled a 27-6 record in singles to help the Athenas to a No. 1 national ranking prior to the start of the NCAA Tournament. CMS reached the NCAA Semifinal round, where it fell to eventual national champion Wesleyan, which was its only Division III loss of the year. 

One of Sriniketh's singles losses was to her own teammate (Rebecca Kong) in the finals of the ITA West Regionals. She then she won two rounds at the ITA Cup before falling in the semifinals to No. 1 ranked Matia Cristiani of Babson (who finished the year undefeated), securing All-America honors in her debut season. 

In the spring, Sriniketh opened with a loss to Division I UC Riverside and a loss to Division II Point Loma, but then won 19 singles matches in a row. Included in that stretch were big wins at the ITA Indoor Championship, a 7-5, 6-7, 7-5 win against Emory, and a 6-7, 7-5, 6-3 win to provide the clincher against defending national champion WashU. 

In the ITA Regional Awards, Bell Zhou was named the West's Most Improved Player after compiling a 22-7 singles record, while Dave Schwarz earned the Regional Coach of the Year, and Emily Orlove earned the Assistant Coach of the Year.