Mark Merklein
Encyclopedia
Mark Merklein is a former college and professional tennis
player from the Bahamas.
Merklein was born in Freeport, Bahamas
. He received an athletic scholarship
to attend the University of Florida
in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played for the Florida Gators men's tennis
team in National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) competition from 1991 to 1994. As a Gator, he won the NCAA singles title in 1993, and the NCAA doubles title with partner David Blair in 1994. Merklein was a four-time All-American, and three-time All-Southeastern Conference
(SEC) selection, and the SEC Player of the Year in 1994. He was inducted in to the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2005.
Merklein turned professional in 1994, and won four doubles titles during his career. On July 7, 1997, he reached his highest singles ranking of World Number 160, and reached his highest doubles ranking on January 12, 2004, when he became World Number 37.
Merklein currently resides in Gainesville, Florida.
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player from the Bahamas.
Merklein was born in Freeport, Bahamas
Freeport, Bahamas
Freeport is a city, district and free trade zone located on the island of Grand Bahama of the North-west Bahamas. In 1955, Wallace Groves, a Virginian financier with lumber interests in Grand Bahama, was granted 50,000 acres Freeport is a city, district and free trade zone located on the island of...
. He received an athletic scholarship
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played for the Florida Gators men's tennis
Florida Gators men's tennis
The Florida Gators men's tennis team represents the University of Florida in the sport of tennis. The Gators compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Southeastern Conference . The team hosts its home matches in Linder Stadium on the university's Gainesville,...
team in National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) competition from 1991 to 1994. As a Gator, he won the NCAA singles title in 1993, and the NCAA doubles title with partner David Blair in 1994. Merklein was a four-time All-American, and three-time All-Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) selection, and the SEC Player of the Year in 1994. He was inducted in to the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2005.
Merklein turned professional in 1994, and won four doubles titles during his career. On July 7, 1997, he reached his highest singles ranking of World Number 160, and reached his highest doubles ranking on January 12, 2004, when he became World Number 37.
Merklein currently resides in Gainesville, Florida.
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- List of Florida Gators tennis players
- List of University of Florida Olympians