April 27, 2001

Senior Brooke Skeen and junior Lauren Rookledge were named to the All-Southeastern Conference Women’s Tennis second-team, the league announced on Thursday, April 26. They are the first Wildcats to be named All-SEC performers since 1998.

Skeen, a North Carolina native, and Rookledge, who hails from Cape Town, South Africa, form the nation’s 21st-ranked doubles team and have accumulated an amazing 24-5 record, including an 11-match win streak.

The two Tennis Cats hold wins over five Top-50 opponents, including a win over the ninth-ranked doubles team in only its fourth match as a duo.

“This is a great honor for Lauren and Brooke and I am very proud of them,” Coach Mark Guilbeau said. “They are very deserving of this honor and this is a great reflection of our total team effort. The most impressive thing about this team is that they have only been playing together for one semester. Most teams play together for years before they accomplish what this team has. They made the most of the opportunity they were given.

“Lauren and Brooke both play such an outstanding doubles game and have tremendous skills at the net. They have committed themselves to executing their style of play.”

The Wildcats will now await their bid to the 2001 NCAA Championships to be held on May 12-13. The NCAA Tennis Selection Show will air on May 3. Skeen and Rookledge are anticipating their bid to the NCAA Doubles Championship to be announced on May 4.