Samuel, Thomson Named ITA All-Americans
Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina men’s tennis juniors Toby Samuel and Connor Thomson have both been named All-Americans by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association in both singles and doubles.
The ITA names All-Americans based off earning a top 16 seed in the NCAA Singles Championship, advancing to the Round of 16 in the Singles Championship, or finishing in the top-20 of the ITA Singles Rankings. For doubles, teams with a top 8 seed in the NCAA Doubles Championship, reach the Round of 16 in the Doubles Championship, or finish in the top 10 of the ITA Doubles Rankings have earned the honorific “All-America” title.
For Samuel, this is his first career All-American honors. He earned his singles honor for having entered the NCAA Singles Championship as a No. 9-16 seed. Despite withdrawing from the singles championships due to illness, the Bournemouth, England, native finished with a year-end ranking of No. 10 in the country.
Samuel amassed a singles record of 24-5 this season with a 19-4 record in dual play, all from the No. 1 spot in the lineup. He went 15-5 against ranked foes this season and earned three of his wins over top-10 opponents.
The 2023 honors also give Thomson his first Singles All-America honors. The Glasgow, Scotland, native entered the NCAA Singles Championship as a No. 9-16 seed and after falling in the second round, Thomson ended the season with a final ranking of No. 17.
Thomson led the team in singles this season with a 34-7 overall record. His 20-4 dual record also led the team with the majority of his wins coming from the No. 2 spot in the lineup. He went 13-4 against ranked opponents this season and also posted three wins over top-10 opponents.
Together in doubles, Samuel and Thomson were named Doubles All-Americans for having been the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Doubles Championships as well as finishing the season atop the Doubles Rankings.
The duo spent all but one week of the season ranked No. 1 in the country after having won the program’s first ITA All-American Doubles title in the fall. They are also the first pair in program history to ever hold the top spot in the national doubles rankings.
Samuel and Thomson went 24-6 overall this season including a 17-5 mark in dual play from the top of the lineup. They went 12-5 versus ranked opponents with four wins over top-10 opponents.
The Doubles All-American honor marks the second of his career for Thomson who had previously earned the title in 2022 after making a run to the semifinals of the NCAA Doubles Championships. It is the first career honor for Samuel.
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