Darrell Winrich played four outstanding years of varsity tennis at Pacific, first at the No. 2 singles position from 1948-50Â before dominating at the top spot in the singles lineup in 1951.
A three-time All-California Collegiate Athletic Association selection, Winrich was part of the 1950 men's tennis team that won their fourth consecutive CCAA title and finished the season ranked third in the nation with a 13-2 record behind only No. 1 UCLA and No. 2 USC.
The top-ranked player in all of California in 1951, Winrich defeated the No. 1 player at UCLA, Jack Shoemaker, at that season's Ojai Valley Tournament. Earlier that year, as the third seed, Winrich captured the Northern California Intercollegiate Championships as he defeated top-seeded Butch Krikorian of San Jose State in straight sets to claim the title. None of Darrell's five opponents at the event were able to force a deuce set. He garnered All-State First Team recognition in 1951Â to go along with unofficial All-America recognition in 1950 and 1951.
Over his career, Winrich posted an overall dual match record of 58-5, good for a 92 percent winning percentage. He was the only top-seeded player of his era to post an undefeated dual match record for an entire season with an 11-0 mark in 1951, as he was the top ranked player in all of California that year.
Throughout his career, Winrich faced the very best tennis teams and the very best collegiate players in the nation. At the time, 12 of the top 25 ranked men's players in the United States were competing in the college ranks, and California was the national hotbed for intercollegiate tennis.
In addition to his standout career as a member of the Pacific men's tennis team, Winrich participated for the Tiger freshman men's basketball team in 1948, where he led the team in scoring and was a second team all-league pick.
Winrich graduated with honors from Pacific in 1952.Â
