Illinois Claims Big Ten Tennis Weekly Award

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Illinois senior Hunter Heck has been named Big Ten Conference Men’s Tennis Player of the Week for matches played March 6-10.

Player of the Week

Hunter Heck, Illinois

Sr. – New Brighton, Minn. — Florida Virtual School 

• Handled top-flight single duties for Illinois in matches versus No. 1 ranked Ohio State and seventh-ranked Arizona last week at the Atkins Tennis Center in Urbana, Ill.

• Defeated eighth-ranked Colton Smith of Arizona at No. 1 singles in straight sets, 6-2, 7-6, on Sunday

• Ranked 39th in singles by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association

• Teamed with Karlis Ozolins to post double wins against Ohio State and Arizona, winning 12 of 13 games in the process. Heck and Ozolins are ranked third nationally by the ITA.

• The 2023 All-Big Ten First Team selection earns his third career weekly award, having previously been honored twice during the 2022 season

• Last Illinois winner: Karlis Ozolins (Jan. 10, 2024)

2024 Big Ten Men’s Tennis Player of the Week

Jan. 10: Karlis Ozolins, Jr., ILL

Jan. 17: Anton Shepp, Jr., NEB

Jan. 24: Calvin Mueller, Jr., NEB

Jan. 31: Justin Boulais, 5th, OSU

Feb. 7: Cannon Kingsley, 5th, OSU

Feb. 14: Presley Thieneman, Sr., NU

Feb. 21: JJ Tracy, Sr., OSU

Feb. 28: Ronald Hohmann III, Gr., MSU | Cannon Kingsley, 5th, OSU

March 6: Gavin Young, Sr., MICH | Soham Purohit, Fr., PUR

March 13: Hunter Heck, Sr., ILL