Courtesy of Air Force Athletics
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – Recent Air Force men’s tennis graduate Phillip Deaton earned the 2026 ITA Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award for the Mountain Region, announced by the ITA.
Deaton is the ninth Falcon to earn the Ashe Award across the last 11 seasons. The 2026 grad. was a three-time All-Mountain West honoree for the Falcons. The 2023 Mountain West Freshman of the year and 2023 ITA Mountain Regional Newcomer of the Year, Deaton leaves the Academy with 115 career combined wins
The ITA Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership and Sportsmanship Award recognizes outstanding student-athletes in all five divisions (NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and JUCO) at the regional and national level. This prestigious award, which dates back to 1982, is presented to the men’s and women’s national student-athletes who have exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and leadership, as well as scholastic, extracurricular and tennis achievements.
