UNLV Athletics Hall Of Fame
The only multiple NCAA champion in UNLV athletics history, men's tennis star Luke Smith (1994-97) won the 1997 national championship in singles and then in doubles along with Tim Blenkiron as his partner. A three-time ITA First Team All-American, he also was a 1996 NCAA Doubles Semifinalist with partner Roger Pettersson and played in a total of five NCAA singles and doubles championship tournaments during his college career. The only eight-time combined first team all-conference honoree in the program's history, Smith is the also only Rebel to earn all-league doubles honors with four different partners. A member of the Rolex All-Star Team in both 1996 and '97, he was a member of three Big West Conference championship teams from 1994-96. After winning the two national championships to complete his senior season, Smith played in the U.S. Open in both singles and doubles and then went on to a professional career that was cut short by multiple injuries. He was a member of the 1997 Davis Cup Team for his native Australia and twice reached the fourth round of the Australian Open in doubles. The winner of three Challenger, nine Futures and 14 Satellite professional tournament titles in singles and doubles, Smith reached as high as 253rd in the world in singles and 124th in doubles before retiring. For the past four years he has worked as assistant head coach at the Peter Smith Tennis Academy in his hometown of Adelaide.
