If the past is any indication of the future, it’s looking bright for the UK tennis program. The Cats have seen 14 players reach All-American singles and/or doubles status 24 times in the past 16 seasons.
The doubles tandem of Greg Van Emburgh and Richard Benson were the first Cats to earn the honor in 1987, while Van Emburgh also earned singles honors for his efforts during the ’87 campaign. Stretching over the course of Dennis Emery’s campaign as head coach at UK, 10 more Cats have earned the honor, with the most recent being Jesse Witten, who joined the elite club following his 2002 NCAA tournament run.
Greg Van Emburgh (Singles & Doubles, 1987 & 1988): Van Emburgh became UK’s first singles All-American in 1987 after advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. He compiled a 38-15 record in 1987 to lead the Cats. As a senior in 1988, Van Emburgh grabbed the honor again after a strong NCAA performance. Teamed with Richard Benson to earn All-America honors in 1987 after advancing to the NCAA semi-finals and again in 1988 after capturing the SEC doubles title.
Richard Benson (Doubles, 1987-89): After combining with Van Emburgh to form UK’s first doubles All-America squad, Benson teamed with Adam Malik to compile an 18-6 record and become UK’s second All-American doubles contingent.
Mario Rincon (Singles, 1988): Rincon posted 37 wins in his junior season, earning him a No. 13 seed in the NCAA tournament and automatically qualifying him for All-America status. He also claimed UK’s highest-ever division title at the No. 2 singles position in a stellar junior campaign.
Adam Malik (Singles & Doubles, 1989): Malik finished with a 32-17 record during his final season at Kentucky, claiming the SEC Indoor Championship in Lexington en route to his All-America finish.
John Yancey & Ian Skidmore (Doubles, 1990 & 1991): This duo finished the 1990 season with a 14-2 record and were ranked ninth nationally as they became the fourth UK doubles team in four years to earn All-America honors. In 1991, the team posted a 25-12 record and were seeded a;mong the top eight duos at the NCAA Championships, earning them the honor for a second consecutive year.
Scott Hulse & Andy Potter (Doubles, 1992): In a year which saw UK capture its first SEC Championship, Hulse and Potter were seeded among the nation’s top eight doubles duos and earned All-America honors. The two seniors helped lead the Cats to a fifth-place seed in the NCAA tournament.
Michael Hopkinson & Mahyer Goodarz (Doubles, 1993): This pair teamed up to tally a 26-12 record during the 1993 campaign, earning them the No. 2 seed at the NCAA Doubles Championships. Throughout the season, the duo looked strong, claiming top honors in the consolation bracket of the Volvo Collegiate Championship.
Mahyer Goodarz (Singles, 1993): Goodarz earned the second of his All-America honors after posting a 22-16 record and earning on of the top 16 seeds in the NCAA tournament.
Cedric Kauffman (Singles, 1996-98): Kauffmann rewrote the UK record books by becoming the only Wildcat to claim three All-America honors in his career. He grabbed the first honor in 1996, when as a sophomore he posted a 31-15 record. He repeated the honor in 1997, with his 28-11 record and No. 2 national ranking. Kauffmann grabbed the last of his honors as a senior, posting a 17-9 record and finishing the season with a No. 9 national ranking.
Carlos Drada (2000): Drada became the latest in UK’s long line of All-Americans when he made an incredible run through the NCAA tournament, being stopped just short of the singles title by Stanford’s Alex Kim. On the season, Drada compiled a 24-20 record and was also named second-team All-SEC.
Jesse Witten (2002): Just after being named SEC Freshman of the Year and ITA National Rookie of the Year, Witten advanced through the 2002 NCAA Singles Championships to the finals, where he was defeated by Georgia’s defending champion Matias Boeker. Witten had an overall singles record of 36-14 and finished the season at #4 in the ITA rankings.
