Athletic Report
April 21, 2001

ENMU TAKES 4TH AT LSC TOURNAMENT
Zias Lose 5-4 to Northeastern State in Semis, Fall 5-4
to Cameron in Third Place Match
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — The Eastern New Mexico University Zias played two highly- competitive matches at the Lone Star Conference Tennis Championships in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Friday, Apr. 20, but were edged by Northeastern State University, 5-4, in the semifinals, and fell 5-4 to Cameron University in the 3rd place match. ENMU, ranked #24 in NCAA Division II, took 4th place in the tournament, while moving to 10-7 on the season.

Against 17th-ranked Northeastern State, the Zias won 3 of 6 singles matches, but dropped 2 of 3 doubles flights. NSU won #1 and #3 doubles to take an early 2-1 lead. The Lady Reds then added victories at #1, #2 and #3 singles to win the overall match. Three singles matches were decided in 3 sets, including Katarina Djuric’s triumph over ENMU’s Bethanie Nix (Fr., Spring, TX/Newman Smith H.S.) at #3 singles. Djuric won the match, 1-6, 7-6, 6-3.

Ananda Kautz (Rio de Janeiro, BRA/Pleasant Valley, CA) of ENMU downed Jennifer McKenzie at #4 singles, 6-7, 6-4, 6-2. Sarah Pennington (Jr., Sweetwater, TX/Sweetwater H.S.) won #5 singles for the Zias, defeating Jennie Howard, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. Eastern also won #6 singles, with Sarah Salazar (Fr., Belen, NM/St. Pius X H.S.) defeating Maja Nesic in straight sets, 6-3, 6-0. ENMU’s remaining win was earned by the #2 doubles team of Lisa Weinman (So., Albuquerque, NM/West Mesa H.S.) and Pennington, who defeated Howard and McKenzie, 8-4.

In the third place match against Cameron, the Zias won the top three singles flights. Turner defeated Ana Vera Vera, 6-4, 6-4, at #1 singles, and Weinman downed Erica Ayala, 6-1, 6-2 at #2 singles. Nix also won in straight sets, defeating Madeley Ameerali, 6-3, 6-2, at #3 singles. Cameron won #4 singles, as Maria Carlsson downed Kautz, 6-3, 6-0. The Lady Aggies also won #5 and #6 singles, with Rachael Henderson edging Pennington, 7-6, 7-5, and Misty Mostella defeating Salazar, 6-1, 6-3, respectively.

The match may have been decided in doubles play, when Cameron’s #1 team of Vera Vera and Ameerali slipped past Turner and Nix, 9-8, in a match decided by a tie-breaker. ENMU won #2 doubles, as Weinman and Pennington defeated Carlsson and Lana Smith, 8-3. Cameron edged ENMU at #3 doubles, with Henderson and Mostella outlasting Kautz and Salazar, 8-5.

ENMU , which has qualified for the NCAA Division II National Tournament each of the past four seasons, hopes to receive its fifth consecutive tournament bid when regional sites and pairings are announced on Wednesday, Apr. 25. A total of 16 regionals will be played between May 4 and May 6, with each regional champion advancing to the National Finals in Pensacola, Fla., May 10-13.

Last year, ENMU won the Midwest Regional in Edmond, Okla., before falling to Cal-Davis, 5-4, in the national quarterfinals.