The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Men's Tennis signs Wimbledon junior champion Kellen Damico
11.09.2006 | Men's Tennis
AUSTIN, Texas-- University of Texas men's tennis coach Michael Center announced Thursday that Kellen Damico (Parker, Colo.), one of the world's top-ranked junior tennis players, has signed a National Letter of Intent to join the Longhorns' program in the fall of 2007.
"We are ecstatic to have Kellen join our team next year," said Center, the 2006 ITA South Central Region and Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year."He is a young man we have been recruiting for a long time, and we are really happy that he officially has become a Longhorn.Kellen is an outstanding tennis player, and I think he is an even better athlete.His best tennis is in front of him.It's a great day for us, and his decision to join our program bodes very well for our future."
Damico, the highest-ranked American in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior tennis rankings, is the eighth-ranked player in the world among junior boys tennis players and was ranked as high as No. 6 earlier this year.Damico collected his first junior Grand Slam victory in July of 2006 when he captured the boys' doubles title at The Junior Championships, Wimbledon at the All England Lawn and Croquet Club in London, England.
Damico played in the main doubles draw at the 2006 U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., in addition to playing in the main singles and doubles draws at the U.S. Open Junior Championships.The six-foot right-hander was a doubles finalist at the 2006 Australian Open Junior Championships and finished as a singles finalist and doubles quarterfinalist at the 2006 USTA International Spring Championships.
Damico recorded a breakthrough performance in 2005 when he won his first ITF Grade I singles title at the Genting ITF Malaysian International Junior Championships.
