Personal
- Served an LDS church mission to Brazil
Career Highlights
- All-American, Second Team, 1967
- Played No. 1 Singles and Doubles in 1967
- Defeated Jim Osborn, Joaquin Loyo Mayo, Bob Lutz and Brian Cheney
Before BYU
- Came to BYU from Pepperdine University where he had won their Freshman Athlete of the Year award in 1964
After BYU
- Served an LDS church mission
- Returned home to become head pro at first the Palos Verdes Tennis Club and then at the Emerald Bay Tennis Club in California
Post BYU Honors and Societies
- Won the National Team Doubles Championship with Dick Leach in 1974 as a member of the U.S. Professional Tennis Association
- Inducted into the BYU Hall of Fame in 1987
1987 BYU Hall of Fame
BYU's first All-American in tennis, Keith Nielson was still winning championships in his sport years after graduating from the "Y."
Keith came to BYU from Pepperdine where he had won their Freshman Athlete of the Year award in 1964. Following a year of redshirting, he traveled to Europe with the BYU team, where he won the Welsh Junior Men's Singles Championship in Bristol.
In 1966 Keith was a member of BYU's Western Athletic Conference championship team. The following year he was the No. 1 singles and doubles player on the team, received all-WAC academic honors, and became the first BYU tennis player named to the All-America team.
In 1968, Keith was once again the No. 1 singles and doubles player at BYU, earned all-WAC academic recognition, and made the All-America team. At the NCAA tournament that year he was seeded No. 10 nationally in singles and No. 5 in doubles.
At one tournament in 1968, Keith beat Bob Lutz, that year's national champion, and Stan Smith, who became national champion the following year and went on to a Wimbledon victory three years later.
After graduation from BYU, Keith served an LDS mission to Brazil, then returned to become head pro at first the Palos Verdes Tennis Club and then at the Emerald Bay Tennis Club in California. He won the National Team Doubles Championship with Dick Leach in 1974 as a member of the U.S. Professional Tennis Association.
In 2014, Keith was inducted into the Utah Tennis Hall of Fame.
- Traveled to Europe during the summer with the BYU team, where he won the Welsh Junior Men's Singles Championships in Bristol
- Was a member of BYU's WAC championship team
- Was the No. 1 singles and doubles player on the team
- Received All-WAC Academic honors
- Became the first BYU tennis player named to the All-American team
- Was once again the No.1 singles and doubles player at BYU
- Earned All-WAC academic recognition
- Made the All-America team
- Was seeded No.10 nationally in singles and No. 5 in doubles at the NCAA tournament
- Beat Bob Lutz, that year's National Collegiate Champion, and Stan Smith, who became National Collegiate Champion the following year and went on to a Wimbeldon victory three years later
- Redshirted after transferring from Pepperdine University
- Redshirted after transferring from Pepperdine University