Rhodes Athletic Hall of Fame
Described by her teammates as calm and collected on the tennis court, and a “grinder” according to Hall of Fame head coach Sarah Hatgas, Stephanie Gong’s success at wearing down her opponents helped guide her to four NCAA Championship appearances.
Rhodes women’s tennis was at its prime during Gong’s career, where the three-time All-American (2003, 2004, 2005) played No. 1-singles for three years. At the end of her sophomore year, Gong was named the 2003 South Region Player to Watch and finished the season ranked eighth nationally by the International Tennis Association (ITA). Her junior season she was ranked seventh nationally by the ITA and advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2004 NCAA Tournament, finishing the season 20-5.
Gong also was named the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 2004, becoming the first Rhodes player to garner the honor since Hall of Famer Nao Kinoshita won the tournament in 1995. That same year she was named Rhodes’ Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
A four-time All-SCAC honoree, Gong placed fifth at the ITA Championships in the fall before her final spring season, and concluded her career with more than 70 singles wins and over 50 doubles victories. While she was a member of the team, Rhodes women’s tennis compiled a 70-17 record and was ranked as high as eighth nationally.
During Gong’s senior season, head coach Sarah Hatgas was quoted as saying, “I’ve never had anybody with the footwork and anticipation of Stephanie. She is probably the consummate practice player. I’ve never had anybody practice and compete as hard as she does. She does all this without carrying a big ego, like some of the other top players in the nation.”
Following her graduation from Rhodes with a Bachelor of Science in biology, Gong went on to medical school at the University of Kentucky and is now an OB/GYN. She was also named to the SCAC 15th Anniversary women’s tennis team.
In recognition of the excellence she achieved on the tennis court and in the classroom, as well as her dedication to her teammates, we are honored to induct Stephanie Gong into the Rhodes Athletic Hall of Fame this 19th day of October, 2018.
