Nov. 18, 2004
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara University men's tennis program has signed Tommy Hicks of Portland, Ore., and Kenzo Hirakawa-Wong of San Francisco to national letters of intent, head coach George Husack announced during the early signing period which began last Wednesday.
"I am very happy to welcome Tommy and Kenzo to Santa Clara University," Husack said. "Both are unbelievable competitors and will be great ambassadors of our tennis program. They will have a strong impact to our program and I look forward to witnessing their success as Bronco student-athletes."
Hicks is one of the top juniors from the Pacific Northwest Section, and has been ranked No. 1 in the PNW in Boys 18s, 16s and 14s. He has represented his section at the USTA Zonal, Intersectional and Junior Davis Cup championships. At the National Open Championship last November, Hicks bested Carsten Ball, who is currently listed as the top-ranked junior nationally.
Hicks represented Grant High School as a state singles finalist the last two years, and has yet to lose a Portland Interscholastic League match. He is a three-time All-District team selection and is currently ranked 51st nationally in Boys 18s. He has also been nationally ranked as high as No. 41 in Boys 16s and No. 15 in Boys 14s.
"Tommy is your quintessential grinder," Husack added. "He has enjoyed a lot of success at the national level because of his ability to out-hustle and out-work his opponents. He's a tenacious competitor and very determined to accomplish those same goals at the college level."
Hirakawa-Wong has also participated in the USTA Zonal, Intersectional and Junior Davis Cup championships, representing the Northern California Section. He is currently ranked second in Boys 18s for NorCal and was a top-100 player nationally in Boys 16s. He recently won back-to-back tournaments: the Alpine Hills Junior Fall and the Solano Labor Day Junior Excellence events.
Out of Lowell High School, Hirakawa-Wong is a three-time All-City singles champion of the Academic Athletic Association. He has a chance to become the first player in the history of the AAA to win four straight titles, should he find similar success in the spring. He is a three-time team MVP and has led his prep squad to three consecutive AAA team championships.
"Kenzo has continued to improve year after year," Husack noted. "He's extremely quick and has learned how to take advantage of this ability in his matches. His pair of tournament titles this year placed him among the top juniors in Northern California and gave him a solid foundation for his final year in junior tennis."
The Broncos' spring campaign will open at home, on January 23, with a doubleheader against UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis. First serve is set for 10 a.m. at the Degheri Center.
