Athletic Report
May 4, 2002

TURNER NAMED TO LSC ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR
Nix, Salazar, Sanchez on Commissioner's Honor Roll
PORTALES, NM – Four of the six players on the Eastern New Mexico University women’s tennis team have received academic honors from the Lone Star Conference this season. Leading the way was Layla Turner (Sr., Casa Grande, AZ/Casa Grande Union H.S.), selected to the LSC All-Academic Team in voting by the LSC sports information directors. Bethanie Nix (So., Spring, TX/Newman Smith H.S.), Sarah Salazar (Jr., Belen, NM/St. Pius X H.S.) and Janelle Sanchez (Fr., Albuquerque, NM/Cibola H.S.) each qualified for the LSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

Tennis players 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 South All-Academic Team. A total of six players from the 10 LSC women’s tennis teams were selected. Players voted to All-Academic Team, plus all other nominees, were named to the Commissioner’s Honor Roll. Turner also was named to the LSC All-Academic Team in 2000-01. She is majoring in Elementary Education and has a 3.62 cumulative grade point average. She earned a 22-5 singles record and was 19-3 in doubles this season.

During her 4-year career with the Zias, she achieved a 93-19 singles record (.830) and an 83-27 doubles record (.755). She was nationally ranked in singles all four years. She is currently ranked #37 in NCAA Division II. Turner concluded the 2000-01 season ranked #18 in the nation and qualified as an ITA All-American. She also earned ITA Scholar-Athlete All-American honors in 2000-01. She has been named to the ENMU Athletic Honor Roll all seven semesters.

Turner won the ITA/Rolex Regional title in singles three times and in doubles once. She placed third at the ITA/Rolex National Tournament in singles this past fall. She was sixth in 1999 and fourth in 2000 in singles. She placed fifth in doubles in 1999. Nix is majoring in Psychology and owns a 3.59 cumulative GPA. She achieved a 21-6 singles record and a 15-8 doubles record this season. Her career record, in two years at ENMU, is 36-12 in singles and 32-16 in doubles.

Nix and Turner reached the finals of the ITA/Rolex Regional Tournament in doubles in 2000-01 and advanced to the semifinals in 2001-02. Salazar is a Sports Communication major at ENMU. She has earned a 3.25 cumulative GPA. In singles this season, she earned a 10-10 record, while accumulating a 16-5 doubles mark. She has compiled a 25-27 career record in singles and a 35-29 career record in doubles. She was 11-0 in doubles when paired with Turner this season.

Sanchez, who received a medical redshirt in 2000-01, is an Elementary Education major at Eastern with a 3.42 cumulative GPA. She provided solid play this season, achieving a 19-7 record in singles and a 12-10 record in doubles. She was 2-1 in singles and 1-2 in doubles in the first tournament of 2000-01, but missed the rest of her initial season due to injury.

The Zias concluded the 2001-02 season with a 14-4 overall record (.778) for the best winning percentage in team history. The previous record was held by the 1999-00 team, which finished the season at 16-5 (.762). The 2001-02 squad also set an ENMU record for fewest losses. Eastern has qualified for the NCAA Division II National Tournament each of the past six seasons, and has been ranked in the Top 30 the past four years.

The Zias were #19 in 1998-99, #11 in 1999-00 and #26 in 2000-01. This year, the Zias were ranked #29 in the final regular season Division II rankings. ENMU qualified for the NCAA Tournament and reached the finals of the Central Regional in Abilene, Texas, before falling to Abilene Christian University, 5-1.