Stanford's Geller named Pac-12 Men's Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year

OJAI, Calif. - Stanford’s Axel Geller has been named the Pac-12 Men’s Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the 2022 season, the conference office announced Wednesday prior to the Cardinal’s opening match at the Pac-12 Championships. The award, which is presented in each of the 24 sports the Pac-12 sponsors, was established to honor collegiate student-athletes who are standouts both academically and in their sports discipline.

The fifth-year from Buenos Aires, Argentina has maintained a 3.95 grade-point average while majoring in economics. He is the fifth overall and third consecutive Cardinal to be named Pac-12 Men’s Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year, which was established by the conference in 2008. 

A three-time All-Pac-12 selection, including first-team nods in 2019 and 2021, Geller has a 57-34 record in his singles career, including a 44-29 mark in dual play, ranking 33rd in Stanford’s history with 44 dual wins. His career rankings have reached as high as No. 7 in singles and No. 11 in doubles by the ITA. 

He helped lead the Cardinal to a Pac-12 regular-season title and was named ITA Northwest Region Senior of the Year in 2021. That year, he was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America third team and CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team (2021). As a junior, Geller earned ITA All-America status and was named an ITA Northwest Region Player to Watch (2019). 

Academically, Geller is a four-time ITA Scholar Athlete (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021), and a two-time member of the Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll (2020, 2021). Over the last five years, Geller has also dedicated his time volunteering for the East Palo Alto Tennis and Tutoring Program (EPATT), which was founded to enrich the academic, athletic, and life skills among K-12 students using a mix of one-on-one academic tutoring and tennis instruction.

In order to be eligible for the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, student-athletes must be a senior (in athletics eligibility) on track to receive a degree, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher, participate in at least 50 percent of the scheduled contests in the sport and have a minimum one year in residence at the institution. Each Pac-12 institution may nominate one individual per sport, and the winners are selected by a committee of Pac-12 staff members at the conclusion of each sport’s regular season. The athletics accomplishments of the nominees are a consideration in voting for the award. 

A Scholar-Athlete of the Year is named in each of the Pac-12’s 24 sponsored sports: baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, beach volleyball, men’s cross country, women’s cross country, football, men’s golf, women’s golf, women’s gymnastics, women’s lacrosse, men’s rowing, women’s rowing, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, softball, men’s swimming & diving, women’s swimming & diving, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, men’s track & field, women’s track & field, women’s volleyball, and wrestling. The award was first established during the 2007-08 academic year.

ALSO NOMINATED: Filip Malbasic, ARIZ; Patrick Zahraj, UCLA; Bradley Frye, USC; Mathias Gavelin, UTAH; Jack Davis, WASH.

Pac-12 Men’s Tennis Scholar-Athletes of the Year

2022 - Axel Geller, Stanford
2021 - William Genesen, Stanford
2020 - No award
2019 - Sameer Kumar, Stanford
2018 - Martin Redlicki, UCLA
2017 - Gal Hakak, Washington
2016 - Max de Vroome, USC
2015 - Dennis Mkrtchian, UCLA
2014 - Clay Thompson, UCLA
2013 - Denis Lin, Stanford
2012 - Ryan Thacher, Stanford
2011 - Jake Poldma, USC
2010 - Robert Farah, USC
2009 - Michael Look, UCLA
2008 - Mathieu Dehaine, UCLA