Emory University women's tennis All-American Ysabel Gonzalez-Rico (Pinecrest, FL) is recognized in this week's edition of Sports Illustrated's Faces In the Crowd.
Gonzalez-Rico capped off a memorable sophomore campaign in May, becoming the fourth player in the history of the program to win the NCAA D-III Singles Championship, defeating Venia Yeung of Wesleyan University, 6-4, 6-3, in the finals. A Honda Division III Women's Athlete of the Year award finalist, she finished 2018-19 with an overall singles ledger of 34-5, tying the school's single-season mark for most wins. Tabbed as the University Athletic Association Player of the Year, Gonzalez-Rico and Defne Olcay advanced to the quarterfinals of the D-III Championships, earning All-America acclaim in the process, with the pair ending the season with a won-lost mark of 16-8.
After two seasons in the program, Gonzalez-Rico ranks fifth all-time in school history with a singles winning percentage of .844 (65-12).
As a team Emory advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Championships, ending the year with a record of 20-4.
NOTE: This week's edition of Sports Illustrated features Serena Williams on the cover.