Head Coach Bryan Shelton was named the SEC Coach of the Year on Thursday afternoon.
Shelton, Four Gators Win Seven Conference Honors
Thursday, April 28, 2016 | Men's Tennis
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Less than four days after winning the 2016 SEC Tournament title, the No. 9 University of Florida men's tennis team has made a splash in the All-SEC Teams. Head Coach Bryan Shelton was named the SEC Coach of the Year, senior Diego Hidalgo was awarded SEC Player of the Year and Alfredo Perez was named the SEC Co-Freshman of the Year, plus Elliott Orkin and Gordon Watson made the All-SEC First Team list.
Head Coach Bryan Shelton was given his first SEC Coach of the Year award on Wednesday, after leading the Gators to their most successful regular season since the 2004-2005 season. With 10 wins in the regular season, Florida went into the 2016 SEC Tournament as a No. 2 seed and defeated Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and Georgia to capture the program's first SEC Tournament title since 2011.
Senior Diego Hidalgo has been nothing but tremendous this year on the tennis courts. Hidalgo is currently ranked No. 10 in singles and No. 1 in doubles with partner Gordon Watson. The Guayaquil, Ecuador native has amassed a singles record of 31-12 this season, including a 17-5 mark in dual matches and 11-3 mark against SEC opponents. With 13 regular season wins over ITA ranked opponents, the Gator captain leads the team in dual match singles victories and clinched four matches for the Orange and Blue.
In doubles, Hidalgo and Watson are currently on a seven match winning streak with a five of those wins coming against ranked opponents. Overall the tandem has defeated 10 ITA ranked opponents this season with three of those victories coming against foes in the Top-5. The pairing has clinched seven doubles points for the Gators in the 2015-16 season.
Freshman Perez has compiled a 31-9 overall singles record in his freshman campaign with a 17-4 dual match record, including a 12-2 mark in SEC singles play that is tied for first on the Gator squad. Hailing from Havana, Cuba, Perez is the Gators' first SEC Freshman of the Year since 2009 and has played at the two, three and four lines all season for the Orange and Blue.
Doubles action saw the Gator freshman and Chase Perez-Blanco rise to the occasion in SEC play. The tandem is 8-2 in doubles against SEC foes with an overall dual match record of 11-2. The pairing has clinched four doubles points for Florida this season and grabbed two doubles wins in the SEC Tournament. Perez was also nominated to the All-SEC Second Team and the All-Freshman Team.
Senior Watson, who is part of the No.1 doubles team in the nation, has compiled a 13-5 dual match doubles record with Hidalgo over the course of the regular season. The pairing is 9-3 in SEC doubles and has remained at the top of the ITA rankings for nine weeks. Watson has already compiled a 14-5 dual match record in singles with a 12-2 record in SEC singles. The Naples, Fla. native clinched four matches for the Florida Gators, including two matches in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals and final.
With an overall 29-12 record in singles this season and a 16-7 mark in dual matches, junior Orkin has shot up the rankings this season currently sitting at No. 38 in singles and No. 84 in doubles with Maxx Lipman. The Gator co-captain has clinched four matches for the Orange and Blue since January. In doubles, along with Lipman, the tandem is 14-5 in dual match play, including a 9-2 record against SEC opponents.
Up next, the Gators will await the draw for the 2016 NCAA Tournament that will be streamed live on NCAA.com next Tuesday night at 5:30 p.m. ET.
Player of the Year: Diego Hidalgo, Florida
Co-Freshman of the Year: Alfredo Perez, Florida
Ryotara Matsumura, Kentucky
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Rishab Agarwal, Mississippi State
Coach of the Year: Bryan Shelton, Florida
First Team All-SEC
Mike Redlicki, Arkansas
Diego Hidalgo, Florida
Elliott Orkin, Florida
Gordon Watson, Florida
Wayne Montgomery, Georgia
Austin Smith, Georgia
William Bushamuka, Kentucky
Gustav Hansson, Ole Miss
Mate Cutura, Mississippi State
Arthur Rinderknech, Texas A&M
Shane Vinsant, Texas A&M
Daniel Valent, Vanderbilt
Second Team All-SEC
Korey Lovett, Alabama
Mazen Osama, Alabama
Jose Salazar, Arkansas
Alfredo Perez, Florida
Paul Oosterbaan, Georgia
Ryotaro Matsumura, Kentucky
Justin Butsch, LSU
Jordan Daigle, LSU
Stefan Lindmark, Ole Miss
Rishab Agarwal, Mississippi State
Nuno Borges, Mississippi State
Gabriel Friedrich, South Carolina
Luis Valero, Tennessee
Cameron Klinger, Vanderbilt
All-Freshman
Alfredo Perez, Florida
Walker Duncan, Georgia
Nuno Borges, Mississippi State
Mazen Osama, Alabama
Ryotaro Matsumura, Kentucky
Cameron Klinger, Vanderbilt
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Head Coach Bryan Shelton was given his first SEC Coach of the Year award on Wednesday, after leading the Gators to their most successful regular season since the 2004-2005 season. With 10 wins in the regular season, Florida went into the 2016 SEC Tournament as a No. 2 seed and defeated Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and Georgia to capture the program's first SEC Tournament title since 2011.
Senior Diego Hidalgo has been nothing but tremendous this year on the tennis courts. Hidalgo is currently ranked No. 10 in singles and No. 1 in doubles with partner Gordon Watson. The Guayaquil, Ecuador native has amassed a singles record of 31-12 this season, including a 17-5 mark in dual matches and 11-3 mark against SEC opponents. With 13 regular season wins over ITA ranked opponents, the Gator captain leads the team in dual match singles victories and clinched four matches for the Orange and Blue.
In doubles, Hidalgo and Watson are currently on a seven match winning streak with a five of those wins coming against ranked opponents. Overall the tandem has defeated 10 ITA ranked opponents this season with three of those victories coming against foes in the Top-5. The pairing has clinched seven doubles points for the Gators in the 2015-16 season.
Freshman Perez has compiled a 31-9 overall singles record in his freshman campaign with a 17-4 dual match record, including a 12-2 mark in SEC singles play that is tied for first on the Gator squad. Hailing from Havana, Cuba, Perez is the Gators' first SEC Freshman of the Year since 2009 and has played at the two, three and four lines all season for the Orange and Blue.
Doubles action saw the Gator freshman and Chase Perez-Blanco rise to the occasion in SEC play. The tandem is 8-2 in doubles against SEC foes with an overall dual match record of 11-2. The pairing has clinched four doubles points for Florida this season and grabbed two doubles wins in the SEC Tournament. Perez was also nominated to the All-SEC Second Team and the All-Freshman Team.
Senior Watson, who is part of the No.1 doubles team in the nation, has compiled a 13-5 dual match doubles record with Hidalgo over the course of the regular season. The pairing is 9-3 in SEC doubles and has remained at the top of the ITA rankings for nine weeks. Watson has already compiled a 14-5 dual match record in singles with a 12-2 record in SEC singles. The Naples, Fla. native clinched four matches for the Florida Gators, including two matches in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals and final.
With an overall 29-12 record in singles this season and a 16-7 mark in dual matches, junior Orkin has shot up the rankings this season currently sitting at No. 38 in singles and No. 84 in doubles with Maxx Lipman. The Gator co-captain has clinched four matches for the Orange and Blue since January. In doubles, along with Lipman, the tandem is 14-5 in dual match play, including a 9-2 record against SEC opponents.
Up next, the Gators will await the draw for the 2016 NCAA Tournament that will be streamed live on NCAA.com next Tuesday night at 5:30 p.m. ET.
Player of the Year: Diego Hidalgo, Florida
Co-Freshman of the Year: Alfredo Perez, Florida
Ryotara Matsumura, Kentucky
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Rishab Agarwal, Mississippi State
Coach of the Year: Bryan Shelton, Florida
First Team All-SEC
Mike Redlicki, Arkansas
Diego Hidalgo, Florida
Elliott Orkin, Florida
Gordon Watson, Florida
Wayne Montgomery, Georgia
Austin Smith, Georgia
William Bushamuka, Kentucky
Gustav Hansson, Ole Miss
Mate Cutura, Mississippi State
Arthur Rinderknech, Texas A&M
Shane Vinsant, Texas A&M
Daniel Valent, Vanderbilt
Second Team All-SEC
Korey Lovett, Alabama
Mazen Osama, Alabama
Jose Salazar, Arkansas
Alfredo Perez, Florida
Paul Oosterbaan, Georgia
Ryotaro Matsumura, Kentucky
Justin Butsch, LSU
Jordan Daigle, LSU
Stefan Lindmark, Ole Miss
Rishab Agarwal, Mississippi State
Nuno Borges, Mississippi State
Gabriel Friedrich, South Carolina
Luis Valero, Tennessee
Cameron Klinger, Vanderbilt
All-Freshman
Alfredo Perez, Florida
Walker Duncan, Georgia
Nuno Borges, Mississippi State
Mazen Osama, Alabama
Ryotaro Matsumura, Kentucky
Cameron Klinger, Vanderbilt
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