The Austin girls tennis team had a big celebration when it scored its first win in two years earlier this fall, but the Packers have equal cause for jubilation for what they’ve accomplished in the classroom this season.

The Packers won the Gold Award for having a team GPA above 3.75 and seniors Rachel Christenson and Tori Watkins were each named Academic All-State.

It is a great accomplishment for any student to keep their GPA above 3.75 and it is an even more challenging task for a devoted athlete to keep that standard. The Packers have shown how dedicated they are this fall by hitting the courts and the books.

Austin head coach Jeff Anderson said his team had great ethic and it showed determination throughout the season.

“The great thing about this team is they work hard in their athletic endeavors and in the classroom. To have two academic all state players and a team GPA above 3.75 is pretty telling how much of a commitment these girls have,” Anderson said. “This group was phenomenal to work with. They were very coachable and they all wanted to improve.”

While Austin finished with a team record of 2-11 overall, the team was much more competitive in its matches than it had been in year’s past and this group has laid the foundation for a program that can bring some positivity to the community.

“We’ve been trying to build on what we had and try to get better. It think we did that,” Anderson said. “We haven’t had this kind of success in awhile and we were close in a lot of matches. Winning in the classroom is just as important as winning on the tennis court and these girls get that.”

Austin will compete in the individual Section 1A Meet at Life Time Fitness in Lakeville.