Francis Marion University athletic officials have announced that
former baseball All-American Wayne Huggins and
former tennis All-American and current Patriot tennis coach
Garth Thomson will be inducted into the FMU
Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, Jan. 31, 1998.
Thomson, a native of Avondale, Zimbabwe, was a
member of the Patriot tennis team between 1987 and 1990. He
earned the B.B.A. degree in finance in 1991 and the M.B.A. degree
in 1997. He is currently in his sixth year as the
university's head men's and women's tennis coach. He also
holds the title of international students adviser.
On the tennis court, he collected four team most valuable player
awards, while recording a career singles record of 63-16 and a
career doubles mark of 56-21. In both 1989 and 1990, he won
the NAIA District Six number-one singles title, won three matches
and advanced to the round of 32 at the NAIA National Tournament,
and was named a second-team All-American. In 1989, he
compiled a 17-3 singles record and a 12-5 doubles mark, and in 1990
was 14-2 in singles competition and 12-5 in doubles play.
He was the first men's tennis All-American at Francis Marion
and, along with fellow Hall of Famer Pearl Moore, is one of only
two Patriot athletes to ever garner four team M.V.P. awards in one
sport. He was also named the Palmetto State Conference
"Player of the Year" in 1990, and during March of that year, played
on the Zimbabwe Davis Cup team.
Following his graduation, he worked as the assistant club
professional at the Florence Country Club, before accepting the
Patriot tennis coaching position in the fall of 1992. In five
seasons at FMU, he has guided the men's team to a 68-35 record and
the women's team to a 60-37 mark. Both teams advanced to the
NCAA Division II national tournament each of the past three seasons
and were ranked in the Top 20 following three of the past four
campaigns. Under his guidance, the women's team set its
single-season record for victories with a 14-6 mark and a #13
ranking in 1996. This past year, the men finished 12-7 and
were ranked 16th, while the women were 12-9 and ranked 20th.
