4AAPI

As we close out Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we celebrate the significant contributions of those in the #AAPI community who have made remarkable impacts on Big Blue Nation! #WeAreUK

During AAPI Heritage Month, we honor Fatu Turituri, born in American Samoa and the first Polynesian player for @UKFootball. A junior college transfer, he was a Wildcat offensive lineman in 2005-06. He started 10 games at UK and was a member of @UKcoachbrooks first bowl team.

During AAPI Heritage Month, we honor @UKBaseball's Ka’ai Tom, from Kaneohe, Hawaii, who totaled a .352 career average in two seasons with the Wildcats. Tom finished his UK career with 148 career hits, the second-most hits for a two-year UK player in program history. Tom was selected in the fifth round of the 2015 MLB Draft, going No. 154 overall, to Cleveland and has played in MLB for the Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He’s one of fewer than 50 Hawaiian-born players to reach MLB.

During AAPI Heritage Month, we honor Alaina Kwan who was a Named WCGA Scholastic All-American each of her four years with @UKgymnastics between 2017-2020. A key contributor to some of the most successful teams in school history. As a junior she scored 9.800 or better on vault seven times and as a senior scored a season-high 9.825 on vault twice.

During AAPI Heritage Month, we honor Ryo Matsumura, from Fukui, Japan, one of the top @UKMensTennis players of the last decade. Matsumura was All-SEC each of his four seasons between 2015-2019. He was ITA All-American and First Team All-SEC. In 2015-16 he was SEC Co-Freshman of the Year and ITA Ohio Valley Region Rookie of the Year.