LEXINGTON, Ky. ? Three returning University of Kentucky men?s tennis players earned recognition as part of the Southeastern Conference Honor Roll as announced by SEC Commissioner Mike Slive in Birmingham, Ala., this month. Two Wildcat upperclassmen in Bruno Agostinelli and Kyle Virgin gained accolades in the classroom along with rising sophomore Brad Cox.
Student-athlete nominees must 1) have a GPA of 3.00 for either the preceding academic year or have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above at the nominating institution; 2) be on scholarship, a letter winner or have participated on a varsity team for two years if non-scholarship; 3) have completed 24 semester hours of non-remedial credit at the nominating institution; and 4) have been a member of the varsity team for the sport’s entire NCAA Championship segment.
Agostinelli had his best season as a Wildcat in 2007-08, ending the year ranked among the top-30 in both singles and doubles. The All-SEC first team selection finished his junior season ranked No. 28 in singles while he and doubles partner Brad Cox ended the year in the 27th slot nationally. The Niagara Falls, Canada, native played in both the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships after leading the Cats back to the Team Championships where he played both No. 1 singles and doubles. This is the second straight year the kinesiology major has made the All-SEC Honor Roll.
Virgin has battled injuries throughout his UK career since arriving in Lexington during the 2006 season after a brief stint at Western Kentucky. As a result, the Ashland, Ky., native has only played in 18 career singles matches as Wildcat. Last season, Virgin won both doubles contests that he appeared in against Toledo and Murray State. Like Agostinelli, this is the second consecutive year that Virgin has been named to the SEC Honor Roll while majoring in accounting.
Cox became just the second freshman in UK history to earn an NCAA individual championship bid. Moreover, he was the first Wildcat rookie to participate in the NCAA Doubles Championships. The doubles pairing of Cox and Agostinelli ended the season ranked 27th in the nation. In singles, Cox primarily played No. 2 doubles, with his biggest win coming at home in late March against No. 13 Erling Tveit Ole Miss 6-1, 5-7, 1-0(8). Cox is a pre-communication and pre-management major.
Returning Men?s Tennis Players Recognized on the SEC Honor Roll
Bruno Agostinelli
Brad Cox
Kyle Virgin
