Sports Release
September 20, 1999

JULIE STILES AND LAYLA TURNER WIN #1 DOUBLES FLIGHT AT ACU TOURNAMENT
ABILENE, TX — Eastern New Mexico University’s top doubles team of senior Julie Stiles (Roswell, NM/Goddard H.S.) and sophomore Layla Turner (Casa Grande, AZ/ Casa Grande Union H.S.) won the #1 Doubles flight at the ACU Wal-Mart Invitational, hosted by Abilene Christian University, Sept. 17-18 in Abilene, Texas.

The two-day tournament featured four singles flights of 16 competitors each, plus three doubles flights witheight teams per flight. Stiles and Turner defeated a Yasser and Browne of Trinity University (Texas) in the #1 Doubles championship match, 6-0, 6-2. The ENMU team advanced into the semifinals when a team from the University of Texas-San Antonio defaulted.

Stiles and Turner defeated Jordan and Taweel of Abilene Christian in the semifinals, 8-2 in a pro set, to reach the finals. Turner lost to Yasser of Trinity in the first round at #1 Singles, but won her next three matches to win the consolation bracket. She defeated Jordan of ACU in the championship match, 5-6, 6-1, 6-2.

Stiles also competed in the #1 Singles flight, and defeated Wilvada of UTSA, 1-6, 6-4, 7-5, in the first round, before falling to Smith of Trinity, 6-2, 6-1 in the quarterfinals. Sarah Pennington (So., Sweetwater, TX/Sweetwater H.S.) and Mandy Wells (Fr., Pampa, TX/Pampa H.S.) each won their first match at #3 Singles in straight sets.

Pennington then defeated Rauscheler of Schreiner College, 6-0, 6-0 in the second round, before losing to Cumming of Trinity, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 in the semifinals. Wells fell in the second round to Morton of Trinity, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.

ENMU’s Betsy Cata (So., Espanola, NM/Espanola Valley H.S.) opened #4 Singles with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Bockhorn of Schreiner. Cata lost in the second round to Harding of Hardin-Simmons University, 6-1, 6-0.

The Zias’ next action is in the Regional Rolex Tournament, Oct. 1-3 in Greeley, Colo. The Rolex will feature one open draw for all singles players and another open draw for all doubles teams.