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DAVIS, Calif. – Junior mechanical engineering major Gabby Landess and junior psychology major Arjith Jayaraman were selected February Student-Athletes of the Month by the UC Davis Library, as announced on Wednesday.

Not surprising for a scholar-athlete in mechanical engineering, nor for a daughter of a UC Davis alum (her father, James, graduated in 1982), Landess was immediately identified by a teammate as one of the gymnastics team's most frequent visitors to Shields Library. 

"The library, for me, allows me to fully focus on my studying and be at my most productive in a short amount of time," said Landess.

"The resources it provides helped me greatly for research papers. I have worked on group projects and done individual studying with great success because of the library. It's my go-to study spot on campus," she added.

Jayaraman agreed, "The library is a place I can count on doing some of my best studying. It's a place my teammates and I can get together and work undisturbed and succeed in the classroom. I use the library often to find sources to cite in my papers and recommend it to everyone."

He credits the library with playing a key role in the tennis squad's academic success due to its convenient location on campus, amount of resources available for students and ample study space. The tennis team has achieved the top men's team GPA in each of the last five straight years.

Meet the Student-Athletes
A summa cum laude graduate of San Jose's Presentation High School and an alumna of Airborne Gymnastics, Landess enjoyed an outstanding February during her third season with the Aggies. She won Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Gymnast of the Week honors three times in a four-week span, thanks in part to 39.250 all-around totals in meets at the U.S. Air Force Academy and Boise State. 

Landess is one of only nine Aggie gymnasts ever to score 39.250 or better, just the fifth to do so in back-to-back meets, and the first to do so in consecutive road meets.

This 2020 season continues a decorated career for Landess, who earned three All-MPSF awards in 2019 and an NCAA regional berth as a freshman in 2018. She has also claimed two Outstanding Contribution Awards, annual team honors given in lieu of the more traditional Most Valuable or Most Inspirational accolades.

Furthermore, Landess earned Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association Scholastic All-America status in each of her first two years.

Jayaraman finished the month of February with a 4-1 singles record (with two matches going unfinished), leading the Aggies to four dual victories during that span.

Competing between No. 5-6 singles, Jayaraman is now No. 2 in UC Davis' Division I era for wins at No. 6, and No. 5 for wins at No. 5. Jayaraman has posted a team-best 7-2 record in dual play, including a perfect 3-0 record at No. 6 this season. 

Highlighting his team's matches throughout the month of February, Jayaraman earned the final singles win on two occasions. Responsible for the point that clinched a 4-3 victory over regional-rival Santa Clara — which lifted the Aggies to their third win over the Broncos in program history — Jayaraman also scored the match-winning point in the Aggies' win over UC San Diego.


 
ABOUT UC DAVIS LIBRARY 
As the academic heart of the university, the UC Davis Library sees more than 1.6 million visitors annually — 93 percent of whom are students — and is ranked among the top academic research libraries in North America. The library supports research, teaching and learning in every discipline, and is proud to support the academic success of UC Davis' student-athletes with study space on campus, remote access to library materials for research and class projects when they are traveling, and the support of our team of librarians, information research and data experts.

ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley.
 
The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation, according to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.