May 12, 2009
ATLANTA – Georgia Tech sophomore Guillermo Gomez has been named the Mideast Region Player to Watch by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, it was announced Tuesday. Gomez is one of the eight region winners who are in the running for the national award, which will be announced at the NCAA Championships Awards Banquet in College Station, Texas on May 19.
“I think Guillermo has had one of the best sophomore seasons of anyone in the nation this year, and certainly the best sophomore season of anyone ever at Tech,” head coach Kenny Thorne said. “He has had a top-10 ranking for most of the season, which shows that he has been consistent all year. With the tough schedule we had and the wins he picked up, he is definitely very deserving of this award.”
A 2009 All-American and All-ACC selection, Gomez currently holds a 28-9 record in singles play, going 12-6 during the dual match season. He is the 11th-ranked player in the nation according to the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings, having reached as high as No. 7 during the regular season. The Alicante, Spain native picks up his second regional award in as many years, after being named the Rookie of the Year in 2008.
With a 55-21 (.724) career singles record, Gomez is tied for sixth on the school’s all-time winning percentage list with former Jacket Bill Mallory (1963-65). He surpassed his 2008 win total of 27 with a 6-2, 6-3 win over NC State’s Jay Weinacker on April 16.
Gomez received a top-16 seed for the 2009 NCAA Men’s Singles Championships, which will take place May 20-25 in College Station, Texas. His opponent is yet to be determined.
“Guillermo is a very fun player to watch and has a lot more work to do, but he will be a great player to watch in the future,” Thorne added.
ITA Player to Watch
Northeast: Alexei Chijoff-Evans (Harvard) Mideast: Guillermo Gomez (Georgia Tech) Southeast: Saketh Myneni (University of Alabama) Midwest: Roy Kalmanovich (University of Illinois) Central: Oleksandr Nedovyesov (Oklahoma State University) South Central: Austin Krajicek (Texas A&M University) Mountain: Jim Brouleau (New Mexico State) West Pedro: Zerbini (California)
