Calvin Chung Arturo Kam
TEMPE, ARIZ. -- The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) has released its 2021 NCAA DIII I Men's All-Americans.
The honorific "All-American" title is given to student-athletes that are a top 8 seed in the NCAA singles tournament, win one round at the NCAA singles tournament, or finish in the Top 20 in the final Oracle ITA Rankings.
The All-American status is awarded to doubles teams that are a top 4 seed in the NCAA doubles tournament, win one round at the NCAA doubles tournament, or finish in the Top 10 in the final Oracle ITA Rankings.
Eph seniors
Arturo Kam and
Calvin Chung were honored as an All-American doubles team and Kam also earned All-America singles recognition.
"It's awesome for Arturo and Calvin to get these honors," noted Eph head coach
Dan Greenberg. "To see Arturo rise from #6 singles as a freshman to #1 the next year, and then to become one of the best in the country his senior year, has been inspiring for everybody in the program."
Greenberg stated, "And for Calvin, who didn't start as a freshman, only to become an absolute rock in our singles lineup and slowly but surely a top doubles player, is also a testament to how driven these guys are."
"Arturo and Calvin played together as sophomores and struggled, and this year they came up with huge wins at #1 doubles to send us to the NCAA team tournament, where they didn't drop a match."
Greenberg also made a point of recognizing and appreciating the circumstances under which Kam and Chung had to prepare and then compete only in a shortened spring season. "But most of all I think about the past year and a half, and how easily it would've been for them to lose focus or the desire to get better, especially with no formal practice and no matches for most of that time and often no courts," Greenberg said. "Instead Calvin was jumping rope and swinging his racquet on the roof of his apartment building and Arturo was running in the altitude of Mexico City to get as fit as possible. I think it feels good for all of us knowing they put all they had into Williams Tennis. And I'm happy they've reaped the rewards in multiple ways, including these All-American honors."
Seeded fourth in the NCAA doubles team competitions the tandem of Kam and Chung was upset in the First Round of the 16-team Doubles Tournament by a doubles team from Gustavus Adolphus.
Kam in singles play advanced to the semifinals before he was defeated.
