Sept. 4, 2002
ATLANTA — Three of Georgia Tech’s former men’s tennis standouts, Bryan Shelton, Jens Skjoedt, and Kenny Thorne were among the 51 members of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s 50th Anniversary team announced on Wednesday by the conference office in Greensboro, N.C. The league will be naming top-50 teams for each of its 25 sports as part of the conference’s golden anniversary celebration.
Heading up the list of honorees is Shelton, who starred for the Yellow Jackets from 1985-88, and is currently the head coach of Tech’s women’s tennis team. Shelton is one of only six players in school history to earn All-America honors, as he earned that distinction in 1988. He was a four-time All-ACC selection (1985-88) and a two-time ACC Flight Champion, winning No. 1 singles in 1985 and No. 1 doubles in 1986. Shelton is one of only two players in Tech history to earn All-ACC honors four times and is the co-holder of Tech’s single-season win record with 22, while also ranking second on the school’s career win list with 101. Since taking over as the Yellow Jackets’ women’s tennis coach prior to the 2000 season, Shelton has led Tech to three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances and the school’s first NCAA Individual participant, Jaime Wong in 2002, who was also a member of the ACC’s 50th Anniversary Women’s Tennis team. In 2002, he was named the ACC Coach of the Year for the first time. Shelton was inducted into the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame in 1993.
Joining Shelton on the list is Jens Skjoedt, who played for Tech from 1987-1990. Skjoedt was a three-time All-ACC selection (1988-90) and was named the 1990 ACC Player of the Year after winning the ACC No. 1 singles flight title. He was a four-time ACC flight champion, winning the 1988 No. 5 singles and No. 3 doubles title, the 1989 No. 3 doubles title and the 1990 No. 1 singles crown. Skjoedt holds or is tied for three different school records, including dual-match singles wins in a career (64), dual-match singles wins in a season (22) and dual-match doubles wins in a career (60). He was inducted into the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame in 2001.
The third Yellow Jacket on the list is Kenny Thorne, who was a standout for the Yellow Jackets from 1985-88 and is currently Tech’s head men’s tennis coach. Thorne is one of only six players in Tech history to earn All-America honors, accomplishing the feat in 1988. A four-time All-ACC selection (1985-88), he captured the 1986 No. 2 singles ACC flight championship. As a senior in 1988, Thorne was named the ITA Region II Player of the Year and was awarded the John Van Nostrand Memorial Award. He still ranks as Tech’s all-time leader in career wins with 112 and also holds the school’s single-season record for wins with 43. Since taking over as the Yellow Jackets’ head men’s tennis coach, Thorne has led the team to the NCAA Tournament three times and was named the ACC Coach of the Year in 1999. He was inducted into the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame in 1995.
