Inducted 2021

Mark Styslinger ’82 is inducted into the Baylor Sports Hall of Fame as one of the school’s two two-time TSSAA boys’ singles tennis champions (as of 2021). Bo Seal ’09 is the other two-time champ, winning titles in 2006 and 2007.

Part of a tennis-loving family and the brother of Lee ’79 and Jon ’81, Mark made a name for himself at Baylor early, winning the TSSAA singles title as a freshman in 1979. He finished second in the state as a sophomore before spending his junior year at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida, now known as IMG Academy.

Returning to Baylor for his senior year in the fall of 1981, Styslinger immediately went back to the top, winning a second state singles title and teaming up with Bob Williams ’83 to win the 1982 state doubles championship that spring. With Styslinger as the top player on the squad, Baylor won team state championships in 1979 and 1982 under coach Mose Payne.

At Southern Methodist University from 1983 to 1986, Styslinger racked up 81 individual victories. His Mustang squads won three Southwest Conference titles and played in four NCAA team championship finals. Styslinger was ranked among the top 20 players in the U.S. in 1984 and was named All-American in 1984 and 1985.

Styslinger graduated from SMU in 1987 with a B.B.A. He and his family live in Birmingham where Mark is an executive with the family-operated business, Altec, Inc.