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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Hartman, Gard Earn All-America Honors
5/30/2003 | Men's Tennis
May 30, 2003
OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss men's tennis standouts Alex Hartman and Catalin Gard earned All-America honors as the 2003 All-America men's tennis team was released by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Friday.
Hartman earned the honor for the second time in his career for being seeded at the NCAA Championships and finishing the year ranked No. 7 in the nation. He became the Rebels' 16th All-American in 2001 and is the fifth Rebel to receive the distinction more than once.
A native of Klippan, Sweden, Hartman became the first Rebel ever to earn All-SEC honors in each of his four years, and only the second player to record 100 victories in his career. He finished with a 106-57 record.
Hartman, the 2003 Southeast Region Senior of the Year, posted a 28-11 record this season while playing No. 1 singles for the fourth year in a row. He helped lead the Rebels to the SEC Western Division Championship and the NCAA quarterfinals.
"This honor recognizes the great season Alex had," head coach Billy Chadwick said. "He leaves Ole Miss as one of the best to ever play here. Alex represents everything good about college athletics, and we are proud of his accomplishments not only on the court but off it as well. He set the standard for future players to follow."
Gard received All-America honors for finishing the season ranked No. 19 in the nation. He became the 17th All-American in the history of the program. Gard posted an impressive 30-11 overall record, 19-5 in dual matches, while playing at the No. 2 singles spot. He was instrumental in the Rebels' winning the SEC West for the second year in a row, and he clinched the win over Auburn to send Ole Miss to the "Sweet Sixteen."
A native of Galati, Romania, Gard has 48 wins in just a year and a half and owns a 36-9 career dual match record all while playing in the top three of the lineup.
"Catalin is very deserving of being an All-American," Chadwick said. "He has been a huge catalyst in our success during the last two years, coming up with big wins when we needed them. He rallied in his match against Auburn to send us to the "Sweet Sixteen" this year and then came up with a huge win against Duke. We are excited about the future with 'Cat' and what lies ahead in his career."
Hartman and Gard were among 45 student-athletes to earn All-America honors. Players earn ITA All-America honors in singles and/or doubles based on their final ranking, advancement at the NCAA Championships and/or seeding at the NCAA Championships.