Athletic Report
October 7, 2001

TURNER WINS THIRD STRAIGHT SINGLES TITLE AT ITA/ROLEX REGIONAL TOURNAMENT
Will Compete at ITA/Rolex Nationals for 3rd Year in a Row
GREELEY, CO — Layla Turner (Sr., Casa Grande, AZ/Casa Grande Union H.S.) of Eastern New Mexico University won the singles title at the ITA/Rolex NCAA Division II Central Regional for the third consecutive year, Sunday, Oct. 7 in Greeley, Colorado.

Turner defeated Lacy Johnson of Abilene Christian University, 7-5, 6-2, in the finals. Turner’s victory qualified her for the ITA/Rolex NCAAS Division II National Tournament for the third straight season. This year’s National Tournament is scheduled for Oct. 18-21 at Collin County Community College in McKinney, Texas.Turner is one of eight Regional Rolex champions who will compete for the singles title.

Last year, Turner took 4th place in singles at the ITA/Rolex National Tournament. She placed 6th in singles and 5th in doubles in 1999. Turner and doubles partner Bethanie Nix (So., Big Spring, TX/Newman Smith H.S.) lost in the semifinals of the Regional Tournament. They were defeated by Johnson of ACU, and her partner, Kristen Chumley, 9-8 in a tie-breaker. Johnson and Chumley won the doubles title, and will represent the Central Region in doubles at the National Tournament.

Turner’s road to the Regional title began with a first round bye as the #2 seed in the singles bracket. She defeated Joy Israel of Abilene Christian, 6-1, 6-0, in the second round, and cruised past Lori Eslinger from the University of Northern Colorado, 6-1, 6-0 in the Round of 16. Turner defeated Chumley, 6-1, 6-0, in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Turner edged Katie Fitzgerald of Colorado Christian University, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 10-7.

Turner won the second set in a 7-point tie-breaker, after Fitzgerald earned a decisive triumph in the first set. Turner was eventually victorious in the match by winning a 10-point tie-breaker used at the Regional instead of a third set. Fitzgerald was seeded #4 in singles. Turner needed just two sets to defeat Johnson in the finals. Johnson, who was seeded #1 in the singles bracket, defeated her own teammate, Sarah Taweel, the #3-seed, in the semifinals, 6-7, 6-1, 10-4.

In doubles, Turner and Nix opened the tournament as the #1 seed, and received a first round bye. Turner and Nix defeated Ashley Hawk and Israel of ACU, 8-0, in the second round, then downed Fitzgerald and Jeanette Musser of Colorado Christian, 8-4, in the quarterfinals. Johnson and Chumley outlasted Turner and Nix in the semifinals, before defeating Taweel and Andi Wildner, also from ACU, 8-6, in the finals.

Taweel and Wildner were seeded #2. Nix also won three singles matches before losing to Johnson in the quarterfinals. She edged Cosette Reyes of Incarnate Word, 6-2, 4-6, 10-3, in the first round. She moved past Shannon Lauridson of Northern Colorado, 6-3, 6-2, in the second round, then defeated Jess Meares of Metropolitan State University, 6-2, 6-3, in the Round of 16. Johnson defeated Nix, 6-2, 6-2, in the quarterfinals.

OTHER SINGLES RESULTS FOR ENMU:

Lisa Weinman (Jr., Albuquerque, NM/West Mesa H.S.) defeated Erica Ayala of Incarnate Word, 6-4, 6-4, and downed Bri Lister of Mesa State College, 6-2, 6-2, to start the tournament, but fell to Taweel of ACU, 6-2, 6-4, in the Round of 16.

Sarah Salazar (Jr., Belen, NM/Saint Pius X H.S.) lost to Velvet Canada of ACU in the first round, but recorded back-to-back wins in the consolation bracket before losing for a second time.

Sarah Pennington (Sr., Sweetwater, TX/Sweetwater H.S.) defeated Kendra Cable from Colorado- Colorado Springs, 6-0, 6-1, and routed Rachel Brown of Fort Hays State University, 6-0, 6-0. She lost in the Round of 16 to Fitzgerald of Colorado Christian, who claimed a 6-1, 6-0 victory.

Janelle Sanchez (Fr., Albuquerque, NM/Cibola H.S.) slipped past Annette James of Mesa State, 7-5, 2-6, 10-8, and easily defeated Tania Zuvela of Metro State, 6-2, 6-0. She lost to Jess Yaneva of Incarnate Word, 6-0, 6-0, in the Round of 16.

OTHER DOUBLES RESULTS FOR ENMU:

Weinman and Pennington shut out Emily Hydrick and Jennifer Smith of Mesa State, 8-0, in the first round of doubles. Jess Meares and Rebecca Meares of Metro State defeated Weinman and Pennington, 8-5, in the Round of 16.

Salazar and Sanchez also split a pair of doubles matches. They defeated Cable and Mary Bollinger of Colorado-Colorado Springs, 8-4, in the first round. In the Round of 16, Salazar and Sanchez lost a close match to Eslinger and Amber Alley of Northern Colorado, 9-7.