April 21, 2008
- Big Ten Network: Programming Schedule
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch
- gohawks.com
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
Complete Release in PDF Format
THIS WEEK — The 53rd-ranked University of Iowa men’s tennis team (12-9 overall, 4-6 Big Ten), seeded eighth, will face ninth-seeded Purdue Thursday in the first round of the 2008 Big Ten Championships. Competition is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex.
BIG TEN TOURNAMENT — The University of Iowa will be hosting this year’s Big Ten Tournament, Thursday-Sunday. The tournament will be held at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex (indoor) and the Klotz Outdoor Courts. Admission to the event is free. Live scoring, match results and photos from the four-day tournament will be available at www.hawkeyesports.com. The Big Ten Network will air a tape delayed broadcast of Sunday’s championship final match May 7 at 7 p.m. (CT).
TOURNAMENT HISTORY — The Hawkeyes last hosted the Big Ten Tournament in 1993. This will be the first time Iowa has hosted the tournament at the new Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex.
SCOUTING PURDUE — Purdue is 8-14 overall and 2-8 in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers are led by Head Coach Tim Madden, in his 14th season.
THE SERIES — Iowa leads the all-time series against Purdue, 34-27. The Hawkeyes defeated the Boilermakers Saturday in Iowa City, 5-2.
LAST TIME OUT — Iowa hosted Purdue and 17th-ranked Illinois over the weekend. The Hawkeyes defeated Purdue 5-2 before losing to the Illini 7-0.
HAWKEYES IMPROVE IN `08– The Hawkeyes have had a very successful season and will look to keep it going Thursday. Iowa has defeated three currently ranked teams and five previously ranked teams this season.
IN THE RANKINGS — Iowa is ranked No. 53. In the men’s singles rankings, senior Bart van Monsjou is No. 74 and in the men’s doubles rankings the duo of seniors J.P. Ritchie and van Monsjou is ranked No. 46. Rankings are produced by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). They are released every Wednesday and can be found at collegetennisonline.com.
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 296-307 (.491). 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.
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