Hawkeyes Head To Big Ten Championships

April 23, 2007

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THIS WEEK

The Iowa women’s tennis team heads to Big Ten Championships hosted by the University of Minnesota, Thursday through Sunday. Competition will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The championship match will be played Sunday at noon. All times listed are central.

THE HAWKEYES

Iowa is currently ranked 59th in the FILA Collegiate Tennis Rankings with an 11-9 record, including 7-3 in the Big Ten. Iowa is the fourth-seeded team in the Big Ten. Competing for the Hawkeyes will be Jennifer Barnes, Merel Beelen, Kayla Berry, Kelcie Klockenga, Jacqueline Lee, Hillary Mintz and Mili Veselinovic.

THIS SEASON

Sophomore Merel Beelen is 16-4 and has won 21 of her last 24 matches. Mili Veselinovic has won 17 of her last 22 singles matches. Iowa’s doubles duo of Berry and Klockenga is 10-8 this season. Iowa had wins over four ranked teams this season, and the Hawkeyes beat all but two unranked teams they faced.

THE COMPETITION

Northwestern is the top seed in the Big Ten, and ranked seventh nationally with a 10-0 conference record. Indiana is 9-1 as the second seed, ranked 27th in the nation. Michigan takes the third conference seed, going 8-2 in conference play with a national ranking of 25th. As the fifth seed, Ohio State posts a 6-4 Big Ten record with a 43rd place ranking, and Purdue is sixth (5-5), ranked 50th. Minnesota is seeded seventh, Penn State eighth, Michigan State ninth, Illinois 10th and Wisconsin 11th.

LAST COMPETITION

Iowa hosted Illinois and won, 6-1, before pulling an upset over 50th-ranked Purdue, 4-3.

LAST TIME AT BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Iowa advanced to the second round with a win over Illinois, 4-0, before falling to Michigan, 4-3. The Hawkeyes ended the season ranked second in the Big Ten with a 9-1 record.

HEAD COACH DARYL GREENAN

Coach Greenan is in his third season as head coach of the Hawkeyes. Greenan led the Hawkeyes to an 18-6 overall record in 2006, going 9-1 in Big Ten competition for a second place league finish. Greenan was named 2006 Big Ten Coach of the Year. Greenan has a 32-16 overall record in two seasons at Iowa. Toni Neykova is the assistant coach and is in her fifth season with the Hawkeyes.

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