October 7, 1997
For Immediate Release
Contact: Judy Willson, SID
505.562.4309 or 356-4755

(Portales, N.M.) --- The spring sports teams at Eastern New Mexico University are using the fall portion of their seasons to gear up for the meat of their competition in the spring.

Women's Tennis (11-13 in 1997)
Oct. 10-12 Central Region Rolex Tournament TBA
University of Northern Colorado, Greeley

The Zia tennis team will return to the site of their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance this weekend when they travel to Greeley, Colorado for the Rolex Central Regional Tournament. The Rolex Tournament will be a flighted singles and doubles tournament similar to the LSC Flighted Tournament held at the end of September in Edmond, Oklahoma.

In singles competition at the LSC Flighted Tournament, Alejandra Miralles (Sr., Alicante, Spain) advanced to the quarterfinals of the Championship Flight. She lost that match to Sanja Milas of Northeastern State, 6-4, 6-1.

Two ENMU doubles teams advanced to the consolation finals of their flights. Miralles and partner Julie Stiles (So., Roswell) won the Championship Flight consolation finals against Sharon Lauver and Melina Martinez of Central Oklahoma, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. The team of Tawny Richard (Fr., Seguin, Wash.) and Robbie Jones (So., Portales) lost the B Flight consolation finals to Kristen Bixby and Marci Matthews of Midwestern State, 6-2, 6-1.

Last event of the fall...for the Zias will be a dual match with West Texas A&M on Saturday, October 18 in Canyon, with an exhibition dual with Seward County Community College. The Zias' first competition of the spring will be January 30 at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Ariz.

Softball (1-36 in 1997)

The Zia softball team, under head coach Hollie Chadwick, is using this week of fall practice to raise a little money for the second year program. The Zias will be taking the whole week to play an intrasquad marathon game. Games will begin at 3:00 pm on Tuesday, Oct. 7 and Wednesday, Oct. 8, at 1:30 on Friday, Oct. 10, and at 11:00 am on Saturday, Oct. 11. The games will be played at the Portales City Softball Complex located west of Greyhound Arena.