2022-23 CSC Academic All-District Teams
Hillsdale College women's tennis seniors Canela Luna and Ellie Chawner bid farewell to their collegiate careers on Saturday, as they walked the stage at Hillsdale College Commencement and officially graduated from the institution.
But as their careers with the Chargers come to an end, the pair have received one more honor recognizing them for their achievements on the court and in the classroom while playing at Hillsdale.
Luna and Chawner were both named to the 2023 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team last week. In order to be considered for CSC Academic All-District honors, an athlete must be either a starter or a meaningful contributor, and carry a 3.5 or better cumulative GPA. All Academic All-District honorees are entered into consideration to receive prestigious Academic All-American honors from CSC later in May, as voted on and selected by institution SIDs at the NCAA DII level. This is the first season in the 65-plus year history of the CSC Academic awards that men's and women's tennis players have been honored in their own separate category.
A four-year contributor for the Chargers, Luna was a mainstay of Hillsdale's singles and doubles lineups throughout her career, and a major part of Hillsdale's 2021 G-MAC Tournament title. For her career, the senior finished with 78 victories, going 13-10 in singles and 11-6 in doubles in 2022-23 for the Chargers while playing at the 2, 3 and 4 positions in the lineup. Luna also earned three G-MAC Player of the Week honors over the course of her time at Hillsdale.
Off the court, Luna graduated Cum Laude from Hillsdale with a double major in Economics and Spanish, while twice receiving ITA Scholar-Athlete honors and earning Academic All-G-MAC recognition three times.
Like Luna, Chawner also played a big role across multiple seasons for the Chargers, as a significant part of the lineup in both singles and doubles in each of the last three seasons while recording 50 wins for her career. She put together one of the best runs in Hillsdale College tennis history at the 2022 ITA Midwest Regional, reaching the B Doubles final and earning runner-up honors with partner Libby McGivern.
Chawner also built an impressive legacy at Hillsdale off the court, receiving three ITA Scholar-Athlete honors, three Academic All-G-MAC honors, being awarded the Hillsdale President's Scholar-Athlete Award twice, and winning the 2020-21 Distinguished Student in Psychology award at Hillsdale, as well as the 2023 Hillsdale College Outstanding Psychology Research Project Award. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Psychology this past weekend.
As All-District honorees, both Luna and Chawner are under consideration for CoSIDA Academic All-American honors. A team of All-Americans will be chosen from the All-District winners and the selections will be announced on June 1.