It was a disappointing day for Alfredo Perez and the Florida men’s tennis team at the NCAA Individual Championships in Athens, Georgia.
After a dominant win over No. 2 Stanford to win the national championship on Tuesday, the Gators women’s tennis team has already seen its fair share of upsets in the individual singles and doubles tournaments. Only two Gators out of the five selected to play in singles remain after two rounds, as only one doubles team remains after the first round.
It was another day of success for Florida sophomore Alfredo Perez at the NCAA Individual Championships, but it was a day of close calls for him in both the singles and doubles competitions.
On the opening day of the NCAA East Preliminary, Florida saw 15 of its 23 competitors post qualifying marks.
In his first press conference of the season, coach Roland Thornqvist said he thought this year’s Gators women’s tennis team was the best team he’s had in his 16 years at Florida. On Tuesday night, they lived up to that proclamation by giving the program its seventh national championship.
Nearly two weeks after producing a trio of SEC outdoor champions in junior KeAndre Bates (men’s triple jump), junior Lloydricia Cameron (women’s shot put) and senior Kyra Jefferson (women’s 200-meter), Florida will see a total of 52 athletes compete in the NCAA East Preliminary.
In a year that had its fair share of successes compounded by light disappointment, the Gators women’s golf team ultimately watched its season come to a devastating close on Tuesday morning.
Alfredo Perez will advance to the second round of the NCAA Singles Championship for a second straight year.
For the seventh time in program history, the Gators women’s team is a national champion. With a 4-1 win over the Stanford Cardinal on Tuesday, Florida punctuated what was already a tremendous season.
Facing elimination on Monday, the Gators women’s golf team showed no quit, posting the third-lowest team score on the day to advance to match play in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championship in Sugar Grove, Illinois.
Standing and smiling in the middle of the court, Brooke Austin was swarmed by eight screaming Gators. After a jumping huddle with the team and assistant coaches, high fives came from every direction as “It’s great to be a Florida Gator” echoed through Georgia’s indoor tennis facility.
The Gators women’s golf team found itself within striking distance of the cutoff after Sunday’s second round of play at the NCAA Championships in Sugar Grove, Illinois.
Entering the season ranked No. 11, the Florida men’s tennis team had high expectations for 2017.
An individual SEC champion, five team wins and four more top-five finishes. The Florida men’s golf team had all of the keys it needed to have a successful 2016-17 campaign.
As Kourtney Keegan slammed the ball onto the court, a small crowd of Gators fans roared in Athens, Georgia. The point won by Keegan and partner Brooke Austin gave them a 6-2 doubles win. It was one of the many things that came easy for Florida on Sunday, as it went on to defeat Oklahoma State 4-1 in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament.
After round two of the NCAA Championships in Sugar Grove, Illinois, the Gators women’s golf team sits in 12th place, up four spots from the first round.
Round one of the NCAA Championship in Sugar Grove, Illinois, was hampered by rain and wind, perhaps causing some golfers to miss out on their potential.
After its first match in Athens, Georgia, the Gators women’s tennis team already knows the level of competition that lies ahead. On Friday night, Florida blanked Texas A&M 4-0 to advance to the Elite 8.
For all the noise the Florida women’s golf team made entering Friday’s NCAA Championship, one might have reasonably thought UF was a strong contender for the title. The fifth-ranked team in the nation entered the weekend following a grind-it-out style win in the NCAA Regional in Columbus, Ohio.
Alfredo Perez sat on the bench and stared straight at the ground with frustration. This body language is not typical of a player leading his opponent by one set and heading into a second set tiebreak.
Solutions by The State News
