TEMPE, Ariz. | The Young Harris College men's tennis team was honored as the Intercollegiate Tennis Association announced their regional award winners.

The Mountain Lions, as a team, earned the region's ITA Community Service Award Honorable Mention for their work with the Georgia Mountain Tennis Championships.

The Mountain Lions have helped with the annual Georgia Mountain Tennis Championships that are played at the college's Bob & Gayle Nichols Tennis Complex each fall. The GMTC, which has been held annually since 2011, raises over $10,000 annual to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cherokee County, North Carolina. The GMTC has brought hundreds of players to the Enchanted Valley from many communities in north Georgia, western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, metro Atlanta, Florida and other areas.

Over the past several years, the YHC tennis players have taken a greater role with the event, helping run the tournament desk and handling many of the day-to-day operational tasks. 

"As the tournament has grown, it would be virtually impossible to run a successful tournament without their help," said Tom Spencer, founder of the event and an Advisory Council member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cherokee County. "We are eternally grateful to YHC, Andrew Cobb and all of the YHC team members who have been a major factors in the success of this event."