ACU men reach final; women in semifinals

ACU men reach final; women in semifinals

Wildcats to face Midwestern for LSC crown; women to play Lady Indians

By Brett Vito

Reporter-News Staff Writer

ABILENE -- The way Hutton Jones and Theron Cole see it, there is no complicated formula or important change the Abilene Christian University men's tennis team needs to make today to end a two-match losing streak to its rival from Midwestern State.

The Wildcats must simply focus on playing solid tennis in the finals of the Lone Star Conference Tournament and get off to a solid start in doubles play.

If they manage those two simple tasks, the Wildcats figure they have a good chance of winning the LSC tournament title when they take on Midwestern in the 11:30 a.m. title match at the ACU tennis courts.

Midwestern knocked off ACU in the finals last year and also beat the Wildcats earlier this season.

"Last year in the conference tournament, they won two of the three doubles matches and then a couple of early singles matches and everything went downhill from there," said Cole, a former Cooper standout. "They key for us will be getting off to a good start."

The ACU men set up a rematch with Midwestern by winning a pair of matches on the first day of the tournament when the ACU women their only match of the day.

The ACU men beat East Central Oklahoma 5-2 in the first round before knocking off West Texas A&M 6-1 to advance to the finals. The ACU women hammered Southeastern Oklahoma State 5-0 in their only match of the day and advanced to face Midwestern State in an 8:30 a.m. semifinal match at ACU tennis courts.

Eastern New Mexico and Northeastern State will face off in the other semifinal.

"Everything is clicking along like it is supposed to," Jones said.

If the Wildcats maintain their momentum and win both the men's and women's team titles they will stand a good chance of hosting the Central Region tournaments May 2-4. The site for the tournament will be selected next week.

Jones said ACU will need to maintain its focus to fulfill its goal of winning both the men's and women's LSC titles.

"We have to focus on the way we are playing and not worry about anything else," Jones said. "If we do that and play tough we will be fine."

Contact sports writer Brett Vito at 676-6771 or vitob@abinews.com.

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Quarterfinals

Central Oklahoma def. Southeastern Oklahoma 5-2

Doubles - Clayton/SO, UCO def. Filho/Salas, SOSU 8-6; Tineo/Nowell, SOSU def. Bustos/Robinson, UCO 8-1; Jackson/Lopez, SOSU def. Guettabi/LeSeur, UCO 8-4.

Singles - So, UCO def. Filho, SOSU 6-1, 6-1; Ojdanic, UCO def. Lopez, SOSU; Clayton, UCO def. Jackson, SOSU 6-1, 6-1.

 

West Texas A&M def. Cameron 5-4

Doubles - Li/Morn, WTAM def. Glaser/Alverez, CU 8-4; Mier/Patak, CU def. Gala/Martinez, WTAM 8-5; Flores/Olesen, WTAM def. Blanco/McCulloch, CU 9-8 (4).

Singles - Li, WTAM def. Glaser, CU 5-7, 6-3, 6-4; Moran, WTAM def. Alvarez, CU 2-6, 6-4, 6-3; Blanco, CU def. Martinez, WTAM 6-2, 7-5; Olesen, WTAM def. Mier, CU 6-2, 7-6, (5); Patak, CU def. Flores, WTAM 7-6, (2), 6-3..

 

ACU def. East Central Oklahoma 5-2

Doubles - Cuartella/Cole, ACU def. Waller/Daughterty, ECO 8-3; Grahn/Chance, ECO def. O'Conner/Chapman, ACU 9-7; Broach/Morgan, ACU def. Midea/Haden, ECO 8-4.

Singles - Theron Cole, ACU def. Austin Haden, ECO 6-2, 6-2; Clayton Morgan, ACU def. Thad Chance, ECO 6-0, 6-2; Kirk O'Conner, ACU def. Rafael Midea, ECO 6-1, 6-0.

 

Semifinals

Midwestern 5, University of Central Oklahoma 0

Doubles - Mills/Petty, MSU def. Clayton/SO, UCO 8-6; Gillen/Lundy, MSU def. Bustos/Robinson, UCO 8-2; Swelm/Williams, MSU def. Guettabi/LeSueur, UCO 8-6.

Singles - Van Swhen, MSU def. Guettabi, UCO 6-2, 6-0; Mills, MSU def. Bustos, UCO 6-2, 6-2.

ACU def. West Texas A&M 6-1

Doubles - Curatella/Cole, ACU def. Li/Moran, WTAM 8-5; O'Conner/Chapman, ACU def. Gala/Martinez, WTAM 8-1; Olesen/Flores, WTAM def. Broach/Morgan, ACU 8-5.

Singles - Julien Curatella, ACU def. Jsiao Hsuanli, WTAM 6-0, 6-1; Theron Cole, ACU def. Julio Moran, WTAM 6-1, 6-1; Walter Seidel, ACU def. Armando Martinez, WTAM 6-1, 6-0.

 

WOMEN

Play-In Matches

Southeastern Oklahoma 5, West Texas A&M 1

Doubles - Scott-McMuller, SOSU, def. Masey-Hand, WTAM, 8-4; McMahan-Baker, WTAM, def. Rodriguez-Norther, SOSU, 8-6; Gifts-Wali, SOSU, win by default

Singles - Wali, SOSU, def. Hand, WTAM, 7-6, 6-3; Norther, SOSU, def. Green 6-1, 6-4; Klayboun, SOSU, win by default

 

Tarleton State 5, East Central Oklahoma 2

Doubles - Moita-Buitro, ECU, def. Haley-Mosher, TSU, 8-2; Sproat-Blazer, TSU, def. Irani-Sacks 8-3; Murrawka-Seward, TSU, def, Hibbard-Kieffer 8-1

Singles - Moita, ECO, def. Sproat, TSU, 6-0, 6-1; Seward, TSU, Sacks, ECU, 6-3, 6-2; Blazer, TSU, def. Hibbard, ECU, 6-0, 6-1; Murawka, TSU, def. Wilson, ECU, 7-6, 6-4

 

Quarterfinals

ACU 5, Southeastern Oklahoma State 0

Doubles - Johnson/Chumley, ACU def. Seatt/McMullin SE 8-1; Taweel/Wildner, ACU def. Nozetham/Rodriguez, SE 8-0; Taylor/Israel, ACU def. Griffen/Watts, SE 8-0.

Singles - Kristin Chumley, ACU def. Brandy Watts, SE 6-0, 6-2; Andi Wildnern, ACU def. Denise Rodriguez, SE 6-1, 6-0.

 

Midwestern 5, Cameron 1

Doubles - Gray/Burgess, MSU def. Vera-Vera/Ameeralo, CU 8-4; Black/Butler, MSU def. DeBlonk/White, CU 8-6; Karber/Wuthrich, MSU def. Delgado/Smith, CU 9-7.

Singles - Gray, MSU def. Vera-Vera, CU 6-4, 1-6, 6-1; Burgess, MSU def. Delgado, CU 6-1, 6-0; Ameerali, CU def. Karber, MSU 7-5, 6-2.

 

Eastern New Mexico 5, Central Oklahoma 2

Doubles - Erchova/Ignacia, UCO def. Weinman/Pennington, ENMU 8-6; Nix/Sanchez, ENMU def. C.Jones/J.Jones, UCO 8-3; Turner/Salazar, ENMU def. Frick/Johns, UCO 8-3.

Singles - Weinman, ENMU def. Frick, UCO 6-3, 6-2; Johns, UCO def. Sanchez, ENMU 6-2, 6-1; Pennington, ENMU def. Jones, UCO 6-0, 6-0.

 

Northeastern State 5, Tarleton State 1

Doubles - Akkers/Barbera, NESU def. Haley/Mosher, TSU 8-0; Stefanovic/Itschert, NESU def. Sproat/Blazek, TSU 8-3; Murawka/Seward, TSU def. Nesic/Jones, NESU 9-8, (7-3).

Singles - Stefanovic, NESU def. Sproat, TSU 6-1, 6-0; Akkers, NESU def. Haley, TSU 6-0, 6-0; Nesic, NESU def. Mosher, TSU 6-2, 6-0