Arizona men’s tennis coach Clancy Shields last week used social media to say that UA senior Colton Smith, the Big 12 Player of the Year, “is probably the first in program history to be a conference player of the year.”
Arizona’s Colton Smith celebrates during a semifinal match vs. Baylor in Waco, Texas, as part of the 2025 Big 12 Men’s Tennis Championships on April 19, 2025.
UA record books for tennis are and have been void of any history before 1998. I’ve tried for years to find out more about the rich 1960s period when Hall of Fame coach Dave Snyder transformed Arizona into a Top 10 program.
Finally, after searching the vast Western Athletic Conference website, I found that Arizona’s men’s tennis program, 1963-73, was indeed a Top 10 program.
The Wildcats finished No. 3 in the NCAA in 1967, No. 4 in 1965 and 1966, No. 5 in 1963 and in the top five more times through 1974.
Talk about legit All-Americans: Tucson High grad Bill Lenoir, who went on to play at Wimbledon and the French Open, was named WAC Player of the Year in 1963 and 1964, was a three-time first-team All-American, beat the famed Arthur Ashe twice and was ultimately inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Catalina High grad Rand Evett was the WAC Player of the Year in 1972 and 1973. Evett, who played in every tennis grand slam event in his career, was a first-team All-American in 1973.
Smith should know he has lived up to quite a legacy in UA tennis.
