The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is thick with tradition-rich programs in its Athletics Department.  Conference titles and top-notch student-athletes fill the record books in every sport.
 
One of the more historically successful programs is the men's tennis team.  With 12 Southern Conference titles in the trophy case, no school has won more since UTC joined the league in 1978.
 
One of the founders of that success is Stewart Lawwill, an inductee in the Class of 2016 to the UTC Athletics Hall of Fame. Lawwill was a standout for the Mocs from 1980-83 and represents the program in this year's group of honorees.
 
Similar to the current success UTC is currently enjoying, the early 1980s were full of championships across the board.  Lawwill helped the men's tennis program to four SoCon titles.  Individually, he won three singles and two doubles crowns at the league tournament.
 
"It was a great time to be at UTC," said Lawwill about the winning culture he and his teammates helped create.  "We went to the NCAAs in basketball and everybody went to football games at Chamberlain Field.  Wrestling won every year, just like we did, and the women's tennis team was very good." 
 
 
He came to UTC from McCallie and made an immediate impact as a freshman.  He won the SoCon title at No. 5 in 1980 and guided the Mocs to what was then their third league title in a row. 
 
"My first year was really tough for the simple reason that coming in, we had four spots that were already taken with upperclassmen," added Lawwill.  "There were four or five freshmen with two spots open.
 
"Plus, the team is already pretty much situated, and you're coming into a new environment from high school. It was a very tough environment, and my freshman year included a lot of transition."
 
He transitioned quickly after two losses early in the season.  He fell to Appalachian State's Scott Sciotto (6-3, 6-2) and Vanderbilt's Richie Shahkam (6-3, 6-4) before running off a string of wins. 
 
In the SoCon tournament he took down previously unbeaten Rick Lovette of Furman in a three-setter (2-6, 6-3, 6-4).  He then avenged the earlier loss to Sciotto in the finals (6-3, 6-2).
 
"The first year I beat (Lovette) from Furman and he was a senior who hadn't lost all year," said Lawwill.  "I beat him in the conference tournament which was a big win for me. Winning the singles title my freshman year really helped my confidence."
 
He almost doubled-up as a freshman, losing the in finals at No. 3 doubles in a tough three-setter to Appalachian State.  He and teammate Jaimie Verde lost the last two sets in tiebreakers to fall [3-6, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3)].
 
 
The confidence he gained from his first year helped him to build an outstanding resume over the following three seasons.  As a junior, he won at No. 4 singles and teamed with Phillip Tuckniss to win at No. 2 doubles. 
 
His senior year, he helped the Mocs to another team title with a win at No. 5 singles.  He and Tuckniss went 23-3 in doubles and won the No. 1 bracket at the SoCon Tournament.
 
Although winning league Championships was great, Lawwill also recalled the atmosphere at some of the home matches and the excitement they brought to the campus. 
 
"The good thing for us is that we played down at Manker Patten," said Lawwill.  "We had a lot of fans because that was during the tennis boom. We had a lot of people come by and watch us and our matches were fun.
 
"There were so many good people and it was so fun being in tennis at UTC. It was such a great time to be there.  You learn a lot about yourself and UTC was a good environment.
 
"Going into the academic side was huge too, because it was an excellent school for Sciences. That was actually huge for me."
 
After earning his degree from UTC, Lawwill went on to Dental School at Memphis.  He has been practicing in Chattanooga since 1987.
 
The entire Class of 2016 is set to be inducted at the annual UTC Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet tonight at the Chattanooga Country Club. 
 
"You don't really expect it, especially after this amount of time," he stated when asked about what it was likely getting the call that he would be inducted.  "We had great teams, but for me it is just a huge honor to be invited by your university to get into the hall of fame. 
 
"That is special."