Athletic Report
March 29, 2002

ZIAS SLIP PAST NORTHERN COLORADO, 5-4
PUEBLO, CO – Layla Turner (Sr., Casa Grande, AZ/Casa Grande Union H.S.) of Eastern New Mexico University rallied from a one-set deficit at #1 singles to defeat Jan Ikeda of Northern Colorado, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1, as the Zias took a 5-4 win over the Bears, March 29 at the University of Southern Colorado.

ENMU improved to 6-2 on the season, while UNC dropped to 10-7 overall. For the season, Turner is 16-4 as Eastern’s top singles player. She is ranked #37 nationally in singles in NCAA Division II. Turner’s come-from-behind victory provided Eastern with the winning point in the overall match.

ENMU won two of three doubles flights, but the Zias and Bears split the first four singles matches to be completed, leaving Eastern in front, 4-3. Turner’s win made it 5-3, before Bethanie Nix (So., Spring, TX/Newman Smith H.S.) was edged by Jodie Sato at #2 singles, 3-6, 6-3, 6-0, in the final match of the day.

All the remaining singles flights were won in straight sets. Lori Eslinger of UNC won #3 singles over Lisa Weinman (Jr., Albuquerque, NM/West Mesa H.S.), 6-1, 6-2. Janelle Sanchez (Fr., Albuquerque, NM/Cibola H.S.) of ENMU defeated Shannon Lauridson, 7-5, 6-0. Sarah Pennington (Sr., Sweetwater, TX/Sweetwater H.S.) also won for ENMU at #5 singles, as she almost shut out Amber Alley, 6-1, 6-0.Mary Cimino of Northern Colorado defeated Eastern’s Sarah Salazar (Jr., Belen, NM/Saint Pius X H.S.), 6-3, 6-2, at #6 singles.

Weinman and Pennington fell to Ikeda and Sato of UNC at #1 doubles, 8-5, but the Zias were victorious at #2 doubles and #3 doubles. Nix and Sanchez easily won #2 doubles, 8-2, over Eslinger and Alley. Turner and Salazar downed Lauridson and Cimino, 8-5, at #3 doubles.

ENMU, ranked #31 in NCAA Division II, will return to action on Friday, Apr. 5, when the Zias take on 15th-ranked Grand Canyon University at the Zia Tennis Complex. The match is scheduled to get underway at 2:00 p.m. (MST).

(#31) Eastern New Mexico 5, (#40) Northern Colorado 4

SINGLES #1 -- Layla Turner (ENMU) defeated Jan Ikeda (UNC), 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 #2 -- Jodie Sato (UNC) defeated Bethanie Nix (ENMU), 3-6, 6-3, 6-0 #3 -- Lori Eslinger (UNC) defeated Lisa Weinman (ENMU), 6-1, 6-2 #4 -- Janelle Sanchez (ENMU) defeated Shannon Lauridson (UNC), 7-5, 6-0 #5 -- Sarah Pennington (ENMU) defeated Amber Alley (UNC), 6-1, 6-0 #6 -- Mary Cimino (UNC) defeated Sarah Salazar (ENMU), 6-3, 6-2

DOUBLES #1 -- Ikeda and Sato (UNC) defeated Weinman and Pennington (ENMU), 8-5 #2 -- Nix and Sanchez (ENMU) defeated Eslinger and Alley (UNC), 8-2 #3 -- Turner and Salazar (ENMU) defeated Lauridson and Cimino (UNC), 8-5 --- 30 ---