Kuhar named Rhode Island's top male tennis player
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Coming off an impressive rookie campaign, Bryant University men's tennis freshman Matt Kuhar (Smithfield, R.I.) earned the Andy Chase/Gordie Ernst Award as Rhode Island's top male tennis player.
Kuhar, the 2015 Northeast Conference Rookie of the Year, was honored by USTA Rhode Island with the inaugural Andy Chase/Gordie Ernst Award after putting together a stellar performance during his first season as a Bulldog. Kuhar, who helped lead Bryant to its second-straight NEC Championship in April, finished the year with an 18-9 singles mark, going 9-6 at the No. 1 spot.
He picked up three wins at the ITA Regionals in October and posted perhaps his most impressive victory on March 29, defeating four-time NEC Player of the Year Arviz Berzins (FDU). The Smithfield native finished the year winning five of his final six singles matches and went 13-13 in doubles play.
A 2014 graduate from Smithfield High School, he captured three RIISL state singles championships and led the Sentinels to the state team title in 2013 and 2014. He also captured the first New Balance National High School Tournament singles championship in 2014.
Kuhar was joined by Williams College senior and Rumford, R.I. native Rebecca Curran who was named the Jill Craybas Female Tennis Player of the Year. The awards will be presented during an on-court ceremony at the Tennis Hall of Fame Championships, Tuesday, July 14 in Newport.
ABOUT THE AWARDS
JILL CRAYBAS – A native of East Greenwich, Craybas is the most successful tennis player in Rhode Island history. She was a RIISL high school state singles champion and captured the 1996 NCAA singles championship for the University of Florida, when she was the National College Player of the Year. She is the only player in NCAA history to be a member of Division I championship teams at two different schools (Texas and Florida). A two-time SEC Player of the Year, she finished her college career with a 124-18 record. A Florida Gator Hall of Famer, she played nearly 20 years on the WTA Tour. She won the 2002 Japan Open and five doubles titles on the main tour. She was ranked as high as #3 in the US and #41 in the world. A regular for the US Fed Cup team. Her most notable result came at Wimbledon in 2005, where she defeated Serena Williams and Marion Bartoli.
ANDY CHASE – A native of Cumberland, Chase was the US National 16 & Under Hardcourt Singles Champion and a two-time national junior doubles champion. He won RIILS state singles and team championships for Cumberland. He went on to play at Stanford University, where he was a teammate of John McEnroe. The Cardinal captured three NCAA Division I team championships during his four years in Palo Alto.
GORDIE ERNST – A native of Cranston, Ernst won our RIISL state singles championship and three doubles championships with his brother, Bobby Ernst. He was 97-0 in his high school singles career. Ernst was a two-sport athlete at Brown University, was a NHL draft choice and briefly played on the pro tennis tour. Ernst is the head men's and women's tennis coach at Georgetown University, having previously coached at Penn and Northwestern. Among his current pupils are President Obama's daughters.