Austin, Kuhlman Selected to Compete in the American Collegiate Invitational at the 2015 US Open
Thursday, July 16, 2015 | Women's Tennis
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Freshmen teammates Brooke Austin and Josie Kuhlman have been chosen to compete in the second annual American Collegiate Invitational at the US Open, as announced by the USTA on Thursday. The duo had spectacular seasons for the Florida Gators and were instrumental to a squad that won its 28th SEC Championship title in program history.
Austin completed the 2014-15 season with a first in Florida Gator history as she was named SEC Player of the Year and SEC Freshman of the Year. Statistically, the Indianapolis, Ind. native compiled an overall singles record of 32-8 and an overall doubles record of 27-6. Additional accolades poured in for the freshman as she was named a 2015 All-American in singles and doubles, a Honda Sport Award for tennis nominee and selected for the 2015 USTA National Team.
In 2014-15, Kuhlman was a constant force on the tennis court. Kuhlman amassed an overall singles record of 39-11 on the season, including going 16-5 in dual match action at the No. 2 singles position. The Ponte Vedre, Fla. native advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Singles Championships. The freshman was rewarded with numerous postseason accolades, including being named a 2015 All-American in singles, a First Team All-SEC honoree and a member of the 2015 SEC All-Freshman Team.
The American Collegiate Invitational, open to only American college players, began last year as a way to spotlight college tennis during the US Open. Austin and Kuhlman are two of the eight women and eight men that compete in the event during the second week of the US Open. The field of 16 competitors is headlined by the 2015 NCAA champions, Jamie Loeb, of the University of North Carolina, and Ryan Shane, of the University of Virginia.
Women's Field:
| Robin Anderson | Sr. | UCLA |
| Brooke Austin | Fr. | Florida |
| Julia Elbaba | Jr. | Virginia |
| Lauren Herring | Sr. | Georgia |
| Josie Kuhlman | Fr. | Florida |
| Jamie Loeb | Soph. | North Carolina |
| Maegan Manasse | Soph. | California |
Men's Field:
| Gonzales Austin | Sr. | Vanderbilt |
| Mitchell Frank | Sr. | Virginia |
| Thai-Son Kwiatkowski | Soph. | Virginia |
| Winston Lin | Sr. | Columbia |
| Mackenzie McDonald | Soph. | UCLA |
| Quentin Monaghan | Jr. | Notre Dame |
| Ryan Shane | Jr. | Virginia |
In addition to the participants listed above, the USTA will issue one men's and women's wild card to fill out each field of eight. The fields of competitors are comprised of the two top players in the ATP/WTA rankings and the top five players in the year-end ITA singles rankings, including at least two graduating seniors or players who have turned pro/exhausted their collegiate eligibility.
Follow the Gators:
Official Website: www.gatorzone.com/tennis/women/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/FloridaGatorTennis
Twitter: @GatorZoneWTN
