Melisa Ates Receives ITA Northwest Region Awards

PULLMAN, Wash. -- Washington State tennis student-athlete Melisa Ates has been named the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Northwest recipient of the Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship and the Cissie Leary Sportsmanship Awards, it was announced Monday. This marks Ates' second time receiving the Arthur Ashe Award and she is the first played in program history to receive both the Cissie Leary and Arthur Ashe Awards in the same season.
 
Ates, a senior from Antalya, Turkey, concluded one of the finest careers in program history this season. A two-year captain, she became WSU Tennis' career leader for combined single sand doubles victories with 197. She holds the program record for doubles victories (91) and finished third on the singles wins list with 106.
 
In the classroom, Ates, graduated last month with a degree in computer science, is a three-time Pac-12 All-Academic Team selection and was named a recipient of the 2021 WSU President's Award. The President's Awards honor those who advance leadership and engagement at WSU and beyond. Recipients of the award demonstrate exceptional leadership and service to students, WSU and our community.
 
Ates also received the 2020 Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Arthur Ashe Jr. Sportsmanship & Leadership Award for the Northwest Region. She has been a member of the WSU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, a WSU President's Honor Roll member and was WSU Athletics' Student-Athlete of the Month in February of 2020.
 
The Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship goes to a Division I women's player who displays inspiring dedication and commitment to her team, which has enhanced her team's performance and exemplified the spirit of college tennis.
 
The Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award recognizes outstanding individuals who have exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and leadership as well as scholastic, extracurricular and tennis achievements.