IOWA CITY, Iowa -- University of Iowa head men’s tennis coach Ross Wilson announced Monday that Oliver Okonkwo has signed a National Letter of Intent to join the University of Iowa men’s tennis team in the fall of 2018.
“Oliver has natural power and is extremely talented athletically,” said Wilson. “On his visit it was obvious that he fit in academically and socially at Iowa. Oliver has the potential to develop into a great player here at Iowa.”
Okonkwo, a native of Berkshire, England, was runner-up at the 2016 and 2017 British National Championships in doubles. He also won the Grade 4 International Tennis Federation in Nottingham, England, this past April.
Okonkwo is currently ranked No. 25 in the United Kingdom (UK) 18-and-under class and was ranked No. 16 in the UK in the 16-and-unders. He is currently 91st in the UK men’s rankings.
“I chose Iowa for a number of reasons,” said Okonkwo. “The guys on the team are like family. They are on the same journey as I am in wanting to improve my game as far as possible as well as getting a good education. Coach Wilson and Hagan’s coaching styles work well together and you can see a sense of pride in them when promoting the team to the next stages of their tennis program. In addition to tennis being a major aspect of my life, academics are also very important. I feel like Iowa will be able to help me achieve both.”
Okonkwo played singles and doubles for Berkshire which won the Aegon Winter County Cup in 2016. He also played No. 1 singles and doubles for the Berkshire 18-and-under team.