Laalej Named Men's Tennis Academic All-Area Performer of the Year

PHILADELPHIA – Senior Hicham Laalej, team captain of the University of Pennsylvania men's tennis team, was selected as the 2011 Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Men’s Tennis Performer of the Year on Monday. The Academic All-Area team was voted on by the Philadelphia metropolitan area’s 28 sports information offices.

In order to be eligible for Academic All-Area, an athlete must be at least in his or her second year at the institution and hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or better.

A native of Via Mekles, Morocco, Laalej played all of his matches at the number one flight in 2011. He finished the year with an 18-5 singles record that included a 5-2 mark in Ivy League play. In doubles action, Laalej posted a 10-7 spring record.

A unanimous first-team All-Ivy selection, Laalej has compiled a 3.26 cumulative grade point average as an economics; systems science & engineering major.

Laalej is joined on the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Men’s Tennis team by Eastern’s Bryan Arnett, Mansur Gishkaev, Filip Rams and Kacper Rams of Temple, and Nikoloz Kurdadze of Drexel.