Athletic Report
May 6, 2000

TURNER SELECTED FOR LSC ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
IN WOMEN’S TENNIS
Stiles and Pennington Qualify for LSC Honor Roll
PORTALES, NM — Layla Turner (So., Casa Grande, AZ/Casa Grande Union H.S.), who plays #1 singles and #1 doubles for Eastern New Mexico University, has been named to the Lone Star Conference All-Academic Team, as selected by the LSC sports information directors. Turner and Zia tennis players Julie Stiles (Sr., Roswell, NM/Goddard H.S.) and Sarah Pennington (So., Sweetwater, TX/Sweetwater H.S.) qualified for the LSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

Student-athletes with at least a 3.2 grade point average and 24 or more semester hours at an LSC member institution were eligible for the LSC All-Academic Team. A total of 6 players from the 13 LSC teams were selected. The All-Academic Team and all other nominees were named to the LSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

Turner, an Education major with a 3.711 cumulative GPA, is currently ranked 29th nationally in NCAA Division II in singles. Turner and Stiles are ranked 12th nationally in doubles. Both have helped the Zias place second in the LSC, while earning a 16-4 overall record and a fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth. The Zias have won the Midwest Regional at Edmond, Okla., and will compete in the NCAA Division II National Finals in Pensacola, Fla., May 11-14.

Turner has achieved a 24-5 singles record and is 25-5 in doubles. She placed 6th in singles at last fall’s ITA/Rolex National Tournament in Memphis, Tenn. She teamed with Stiles to place fifth in doubles at the ITA/Rolex National Tournament. In two seasons at ENMU, Turner has earned a 53-10 career record in singles and a 50-17 career record in doubles She was named LSC Freshman-of-the-Year in 1998-99.

Stiles is majoring in Physical Education and has a 3.567 cumulative GPA. She has provided the Zias with a 16-5 singles record and a 25-3 doubles record this season. During four seasons with the Zias, she has achieved a career singles record of 69-20 and a career doubles record of 70-33. She has won a total of 139 career matches. Stiles recently received ENMU’s top award for a female athlete, as she was chosen Greatest Zia for 1999-2000.

Pennington has achieved a 3.435 cumulative GPA. She is majoring in Business. She has battled to a 17-5 singles record and a 17-7 doubles mark during the 1999-2000 season. She was 23-8 in singles and 27-11 in doubles as a freshman in 1998-99, giving her a career singles record of 40-13 and a career doubles record of 44-18.

ENMU Head Coach Christine Blaeser has coached the Zias for 10 seasons. She has a career record of 87-102, including 78-55 the past six years. The 1999-2000 team is currently ranked 13th nationally in NCAA Division II.