June 7, 2012
ATLANTA – Georgia Tech senior Jillian O’Neill was selected as an ITA Singles All-American and became the sixth different Yellow Jacket women’s tennis player to earn All-America honors from the ITA when the Division I teams were announced Thursday.
Student-athletes earn All-America status in singles by being a top-16 seed in the NCAA Singles Championship, reaching the round of 16 in the NCAA Singles Championship or by finishing in the top 20 in the final ITA rankings.
O’Neill’s selection is the 12th by a Yellow Jacket, all of which have come since 2005. Kristi Miller with six selections and Irina Falconi with two are the only Yellow Jackets to earn multiple All-America selections. Lyndsay Shosho, Whitney McCray and Amanda McDowell each have one.
It is the first All-America selection for O’Neill after earning All-ACC honors in each of her two years on the Flats. The Montreal, Quebec, native finished the year with a team-best 30 singles wins and a 17-9 mark from the No. 1 spot in Tech’s dual lineup. O’Neill claimed 16 wins over ranked foes and finished the season ranked No. 12.
Senior Caroline Lilley was also ranked in the final Campbell’s/ITA Division I rankings of 2012, coming in at No. 104. Lilley battled injuries for most of the spring and finished the year with a 16-10 mark and a 7-4 record from the No. 2 spot in the Jackets’ lineup.
O’Neill and sophomore Alex Anghelescu finished ranked No. 23 in the doubles rankings with a 17-12 record and 10 wins over ranked opponents. The duo narrowly missed earning All-America status, falling in the second round of the NCAA Doubles Championship.
Senior Lynn Blau and junior Elizabeth Kilborn posted an impressive 29-13 doubles record and were ranked No. 54 in the final poll. The pair’s 29 doubles wins were a team-high and they posted six wins over ranked opponents playing primarily from the No. 2 spot in Tech’s lineup.
Fans are encouraged to follow Georgia Tech women’s tennis on Twitter, @GT_WTEN, and like the Yellow Jackets on Facebook, GTWomensTennis, for an inside look at the program.
— RamblinWreck.com —
