Early Tuesday morning, the City University of New York Athletic Conference announced its recipient for the Hospital for Special Surgery Scholar-Athlete of the Month for April, and honoree was none other than Lehman College men’s tennis standout, Raul Santana.
Santana put forth a terrific showing in the month of April for the Lightning. The Walton High School product contributed in a big way for his team, as he went 7-4 playing exclusively at No. 1 singles while also putting forth a 9-3 record at No. 1 doubles. In addition, in Lehman’s 5-3 CUNYAC quarterfinal round defeat at the hands of the John Jay College Bloodhounds, Santana teamed with Lightning newcomer Manuel Podlecki as the pair defeated John Jay’s combination of Dong Shao and Derrick Chung by a score of 8-6 in a classic match.
A Bronx native, Santana currently has a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 while majoring in Nursing and minoring in Health Services Administration. A dedicated individual in terms of his athletic endeavors, Santana has also done a terrific job taking care of business in the classroom. Lehman College men’s tennis Head Coach Zack Davis was very proud to learn about Raul receiving such an honor.
“Raul is a terrific choice for his award,” Davis said. “Not only does he serve as our team leader and our most consistent player, but he also sets a great example by doing well in class and showing his teammates that academics are extremely important. I’m proud of him and I’m glad we have him for one more year.”
Behind Santana, the Lightning rebounded from a slow start to the season to finish strong. Lehman dropped its first three matches of the 2009 campaign, but the squad played better than .500 after that, going 7-6 in their final 13 matches. At season’s end, the Lightning, with a 3-5 CUNYAC mark, earned the No. 6 seed in the CUNY tournament before dropping a hard-fought match to John Jay College.