Introduction of Julia Browne, presented by Kate Bayard, Head Coach of Women's Tennis at Tufts

"We have been anxiously waiting to celebrate our next Hall of Fame inductee. She was originally selected as a member of the Class of 2020, but Covid and a scheduling conflict have delayed her induction until this year. Tonight…at long last…I’m so excited that JULIA BROWNE will take her rightful place in the Tufts Athletics Hall of Fame.

Julia arrived on the Tufts campus from Glen Head, New York, in the fall of 2007. She was a very strong tennis player, and it was clear from the start that her potential to grow and excel in the sport was limitless.   

From day one in Medford, Julia dedicated herself to getting better, and the NESCAC got an early hint at what she might be able to accomplish when she won the NESCAC Rookie of the Year Award in 2008. But Julia was really just getting started. Her domination of the NESCAC truly began in 2009, and she would eventually be named NESCAC Player of the Year for all three of her remaining seasons at Tufts.

But just dominating the NESCAC wasn’t enough for Julia. She was determined to win at the national level – and like everything else with Julia, once she set her mind on that goal, she put in the work to get there.

In the spring of 2010, it all came together. After a very successful regular season, Julia qualified for the NCAA singles championship tournament in Virginia. She entered as the number 3 seed, but after three days of dominating tennis, Julia emerged from the tournament as number 1. On the national stage that spring, Julia didn’t lose a match…and get this, she didn’t even lose a set!! She won 6 matches over those three days, winning 61 total games and losing only 21 in the process. In her final match, Julia defeated NESCAC rival Grace Baljon from Williams 6-2, 7-5 to complete her title run.

Julia’s NCAA championship was the first-ever in the sport of tennis at Tufts. Julia compiled a remarkable 31-3 overall record that season, and she was among the select few nominated for the Honda Award for Division III Female Student-Athlete of the Year.   

What more can we say about this incredible Jumbo’s tennis achievements? Well..
•    Julia and her outstanding doubles partner Megan McCooey (also here supporting Julia tonight) won two Intercollegiate Tennis Association Fall National Championships in 2009 and 2010. 
•    Julia was the ITA’s Senior Player of the Year, and she went on to play professional tennis after Tufts.
•    She won the Hester Sargent Award for Tufts Female Athlete of the Year. 
•    And by the time she graduated magna cum laude from Tufts, Julia was a 7-time All-American – and consistent with the mission of Tufts Athletics, Julia matched that as a 7-time Dean’s List honoree.

That has to be it, right?... Nothing more I can say, right?....Well, believe it or not, on top of everything else, Julia also received the tremendous honor of being named the Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award winner by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. This very prestigious national award is given to the tennis athlete who exhibits outstanding sportsmanship and leadership in addition to academic, extracurricular and tennis excellence. 

In my opinion, the Arthur Ashe Award is the most significant honor Julia received as a Jumbo. I say that because this award speaks not just to Julia’s amazing tennis talents, but to who she is as a person. 

As I reflect on Julia, it’s remarkable that she won that NCAA championship and went on to play professionally. But to me, that’s not the best part of her story. To me, the best part is how relentlessly hard Julia worked to improve and achieve the goals she set for herself…and as the Arthur Ashe Award attests, she was able to do all of that while remaining true to her values of helping, leading and serving others. 

I am so blessed to have had the chance to coach the amazing Julia Browne, and it is my great honor to welcome Julia into the Tufts Athletics Hall of Fame."