Jack Loutit Awarded SEC Freshman of the Week
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – After a show stopping performance this weekend, Jack Loutit has been named Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week, the league office announced Monday morning. The freshman from Auckland, New Zealand carried the Wildcats home to clinch the outright SEC regular season title, as Kentucky picked up wins over Georgia and No. 6 Tennessee to finish off an unbeaten run through conference play.
Loutit began the weekend with a doubles victory against the Bulldogs, ultimately extending the Wildcats’ doubles point winning streak to an impressive six matches. Loutit alongside partner Taha Baadi defeated Georgia’s ranked pair No. 69 Ryan Colby and Thomas Paulsell, 6-3.
Next up for Loutit and the Wildcats was a top-10 matchup against No. 6 Tennessee, with an outright SEC Regular Season Championship on the line for the Cats. The Freshman would pass with flying colors, winning both in singles and doubles as UK emerged with a 4-3 win.
The freshman excelled one again in doubles as Loutit and Baadi would battle back from a 1-4 deficit against No. 58 Mitsui/Pieczonka of UT and ultimately claim the court 7-5. The victory marked the duo’s second ranked doubles win of the weekend.
Loutit’s singles victory over Tennessee’s Filip Pieczonka, clinched the match for the Wildcats, as well as the regular season title with Kentucky sitting at a triumphant team record of 12-0 in SEC play this season. Loutit claimed the outright SEC regular season title with a come-from-behind battle as Tennessee’s Pieczonka would take the first set 6-4. Loutit would soar through the second set, 6-2, to send the court into the third set. Using the momentum from the second set, Loutit would quickly go up 4-1, and eventually clinch the match, and the regular season title with a final third set score of 6-4.
Loutit becomes the second Wildcat to collect SEC Freshman of the Week this season joining Eli Stephenson.
The Wildcats head out to compete in the 2024 SEC Men’s Tennis Tournament Championship April 17-21, hosted by Louisiana State University at the LSU Tennis Complex in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Kentucky will be the No. 1 seed and their first match is slated for Friday, April 19 at 7 p.m. ET.
For the latest on UK Men’s Tennis, follow the Wildcats on X and Instagram at @UKMensTennis.
