Sept. 24, 2007
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THIS WEEK — The University of Iowa men’s tennis team will travel to South Bend, IN to open its season at the Notre Dame Invite on Friday, September 28. There will be six to eight teams competing. The names of these teams have not yet been released. Additionally, three Hawkeyes, Christian Bierich, J.P. Ritchie and Bart von Monsjou, will travel to Tulsa, OK to compete in the ITA All-American Championships beginning on September 29.
2007-08 HAWKEYES — The 2007-08 Hawkeyes return nine letterwinners from last year’s team. Leading Iowa will be seniors J.P. Ritchie and Bart von Monsjou, both of whom will be competing at the ITA All-American Championships. Von Monsjou led the Hawkeyes last season with a record of 18-10 overall. Also looking to start the year strong will be freshmen newcomers Gentry Kaegi (Park Ridge, IL) and Austen Kauss (Overland Park, KS).
BIG TEN TOURNAMENT– The University of Iowa will be hosting this year’s Big Ten Tournament in April, 2008. The tournament will be held at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex (indoor) and the Klotz Outdoor Courts (outdoor).
HEAD COACH Steve Houghton — Steve Houghton, the dean of Big Ten tennis coaches, is in his 27th season as head coach of the Hawkeyes. Houghton has a career record of 285-299 (.488). His best season came in 1984 when Iowa won a school record 21 matches and two Hawkeyes earned all-Big Ten honors. Four of Houghton’s athletes have also been selected Big Ten Sportsman of the Year. He became the winningest coach in Iowa tennis history in 1992 and is a member of the Iowa Tennis Hall of Fame. While playing at Iowa, Houghton had a career winning percentage of .727 (40-15), second best in Iowa history.
QUOTING COACH HOUGHTON — “The ITA All-American Tournament is a great opportunity to play some of the top players in the nation. Additionally, the Notre Dame Invite is a great event that should benefit our younger players.”
Click HERE for the Big Ten Network home page.