COLUMBIA, Mo. – A trio of international standouts has signed National Letters of Intent to enroll at the University of Missouri and play tennis for Mizzou, as announced by Head Coach Colt Gaston.
Two of the three won't have to wait long to begin their time in Columbia, as Margo Landmann (Bethlehem, South Africa) and Taylor Gruber (Spicewood, Texas) will both enroll over the winter break and join the Tigers this Spring. In addition, Risa Fukutoku (Tokyo, Japan) will enroll next Fall and play as a freshman for the 2018-19 season.
"We are very excited about the addition of three new Tigers joining our family here at Mizzou. All of these young women are not only great tennis players but most importantly great kids with values that reflect the family atmosphere we have here in our program," Gaston said. "I want to thank my assistant Jennifer Meredith for her efforts in helping put this class together. These new Tigers are exactly what we were looking for to help continue to build this program."
Taylor Gruber (Spicewood, Texas)
While it's her athletic talents that will be on display at the Mizzou Tennis Complex, it's her strong academic background that will allow her to enroll a semester early: Gruber will enroll at Mizzou over the Winter break and be eligible to play for the Tigers this spring.
"Taylor is an extremely hard worker that is hungry to come in and help take this program to the next level. She not only excels on and off the court but she is a great kid that sets a high standard for herself and I believe she will fit in well with the culture we are building here at Mizzou," Gaston said. "We are excited for her to join us in January and make an immediate impact on this team."
The Austin, Texas, native has a trio of ITF Junior doubles finalist matches to her credit, as well as a singles semifinal appearance in the ITF Junior event in Austin this year. Gruber won the 2017 Texas Adult Masters Championships, and also this year won the USTA Texas Nancy Jeffett Sportsmanship Award.
Gruber comes from an athletic family: Her father, David, played baseball at Texas State, while her mother, Kimberly, was offered a volleyball scholarship at Florida. In addition, her uncle is former All-Star and World-Champion member of the Toronto Blue Jays, Kelly Gruber.
"Mizzou immediately felt like home to me," said Gruber. "I loved how the team really connected on and off court with each other, and I know I can take my tennis to the next level with Colt and [Assistant Coach] Jennifer Meredith helping me. The campus was so beautiful and I just fell in love with Columbia!"
Risa Fukutoku (Tokyo, Japan)
"I am very excited about Risa joining our program. She has had a standout junior career and is also a very bright student as well," Gaston said. "I was impressed with Risa's attitude, maturity and discipline on court and I believe that will help us raise the bar every day in practice and make everyone around her better."
Fukutoku has been ranked as high as No. 348 in the ITF Junior World Rankings. She racked up five ITF doubles titles on the junior circuit and was a runner-up in an ITF junior singles tournament and three ITF junior doubles draws. She also was an ITF junior semifinalist in four singles and three doubles tournaments. Fukutoku also played in Japan's U16 and U18 national singles championships.
"I felt at home choosing Mizzou with its caring coaches, friendly teammates, and warm atmosphere," said Fukutoku, also noting the strong combination of high-level academics and athletics.
Margo Landmann (Bethlehem, South Africa)
Like Gruber, Landmann will enroll over the Winter break and start with the Tigers in January.
"Margo is a very talented player with a bright future ahead of her. She is a great kid with strong core values and those are characteristics I look for in recruits," Gaston said. "I was very impressed with the connection she made with the team and coaching staff on her visit here and that, along with her motivation to be great, excites me about Margo's future here at Mizzou."
Landmann has been among South Africa's top juniors for several years, as she is a former U12 National Champion. She ascended to the top spot on the South Africa juniors' ranking list in both the U12 and U14 divisions. Landmann has also represented her home country at the Nations Cup in Italy.
"I chose Mizzou because of the caring, supportive and hard-working team environment," said Landmann. "I know I'm joining a family of true-hearted and lifelong friends. I am so excited to be a Tiger!"
The Tigers open their Spring season against SEMO and Central Arkansas on Jan. 20 at the Mizzou Tennis Complex. For all the latest on Mizzou Tennis, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.