UWA Athletics
Kent Partridge, Deputy Athletic Director for Communications
BIRMINGHAM – Former West Alabama tennis players Julius Kaverinen and Nestor Vargas each earned a spot on the Gulf South Conference Men’s Tennis Team of the Decade according to an announcement by the league office.
Kaverinen, who played at UWA from 2016-19, was a first team selection. Vargas, a Tiger from 2011-14, was a second team choice.
From Helsinki, Finland, Kaverinen was a 2018 All-American in both singles and doubles and a three-time All-GSC selection. He teamed with Linus Holthey to finish fourth nationally in doubles in 2018 and ranked as high as No. 11 nationally in 2018 singles.
Kaverinen was ranked as high as No. 10 regionally in singles in 2019 and teamed with Holthey to be ranked as high as third in the region in doubles in 2019, playing both at No. 1.
Vargas, from Bogota, Columbia, earned All-American recognition in both singles and doubles in 2014 and was a two-time All-GSC choice. He recorded 60 singles and 54 doubles wins in three seasons at UWA after transferring from Winthrop. Vargas was a top 10 seed in ITA Regionals and was ranked as high as 15th nationally in singles.
Bruno Savi of West Florida was voted the player of the decade and Argonaut coach Derrick Racine the coach of the decade.