Five-Star Signee Secured for @MizzouTennis
11/9/2016 10:45:00 AM | Tennis
Mizzou signee Ellie Wright is ranked No. 73 among high school seniors on TennisRecruiting.net
COLUMBIA, MO. – Mizzou Tennis head coach Colt Gaston announced the signing of Ellie Wright (Gainesville, Fla.), a five-star, top-100 recruit to its 2017 recruiting class on Sunday. After signing her National Letter of Intent, Wright confirmed her verbal commitment to pursue her academic and athletic career at the University of Missouri, beginning in the fall of 2017.
Wright, ranked as high as No. 73 by TennisRecruiting.Net and No. 12 in her class in the state of Florida, is set to continue a Mizzou legacy in her family. Her mother, Cortney, was a former tennis standout for Mizzou.
"We are very excited about Ellie joining the program," Gaston said. "She is a hometown girl that grew up a Mizzou fan, so we are thrilled she is coming back home. Ellie has a strong work ethic that will push this team and help her take her game to new levels. She not only is a fine example of a student-athlete, but she is a great person as well. We are looking forward to her getting here and joining our team next fall."
Wright had a successful two years playing high school tennis at F.W. Buchholz before opting to focus on the travel circuit. She earned Gainesville Sun First-Team All-Area recognition and Team MVP honors in 2014 and 2015. Wright went 10-0 at the No. 1 singles position in 2015 on her way to an individual district championship. She eventually reached the Class 4A State Singles Semifinals in team competition, helping Buchholz to a sixth-place finish at the state tournament.
Wright is coming off of a successful summer in which she won the ITA University of Georgia Doubles Championship and finished as a finalist at the ITA Florida State University Doubles Tournament. After years of playing in SEC country, Wright will embrace the opportunity to compete against the league's best as a Tiger.
"Coach Colt Gaston was probably the biggest reason I wanted to come to Mizzou," Wright said. "He always got me fired up every time we talked and I really felt like he understood my game and could continue to take me to the next level. The campus is beautiful and all of the resources are amazing at Mizzou. I really loved the girls on the team. They were all so excited and acted like a family, which is something that is really important to me."
Wright will be bringing more than just athletic ability to Mizzou. She boasts a GPA in the top 10 percent of her class and is a member of both the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society.
Mizzou Tennis wrapped up its fall campaign with the Big Green Invitational last weekend. The Tigers open their spring season Jan. 29 at the ITA Kick-Off Classic in Berkeley, Calif.
For all the latest on Mizzou Tennis, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook (MizzouTennis), Twitter (@MizzouTennis), and Instagram (@Mizzou_Tennis).
