Jan. 28, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format
THIS WEEK — The University of Iowa men’s tennis team will host Indiana Saturday. The meet will begin at noon at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Center. Admission is free.
SCOUTING INDIANA — Indiana, 4-0 overall, has defeated Cleveland State, Morehead State, Eastern Kentucky and Indiana State to open its spring season. The Hoosiers have won each match 7-0. They are coached by Randy Bloemendaal and are assisted by Scott Linn.
THE SERIES — Indiana leads the series 45-15. The Hawkeyes and Hoosiers battled twice last season, with the Hoosiers winning both matches. The Hawkeyes fell to Indiana (6-1), on March 25, 2007, in Bloomington, IN. The two faced off at the Big Ten Tournament. There, the Hoosiers defeated Iowa 4-3.
LAST TIME OUT– The Hawkeye men’s tennis team opened their spring season with a 6-1 victory over Northern Illinois Saturday. Seniors Bart van Monsjou and J.P. Ritchie led the Hawkeyes as they claimed victories at the No. 1 and 2 singles positions, respectively. In addition, the two paired up in doubles to win.
BIG TEN TOURNAMENT– The University of Iowa will be hosting this year’s Big Ten Tournament April 24-27. The tournament will be held at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex (indoor) and the Klotz Outdoor Courts.
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 — “We started very well against Northern Illinois. Indiana will be a very stern test as they are one of the top teams in the Big Ten.”
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