The NCAA News - News and Features

May 18, 1998

Skidmore denies Kenyon's bid to repeat in III women's tennis

Skidmore claimed its first Division III Women's Tennis Championship team title May 8 with a 5-1 victory over Kenyon at Washington and Lee. Skidmore's victory denied Kenyon's attempt to become the first school to repeat as champion in the event's 17-year history.

Lisa Powers and Heather Wood pulled out a 9-8 (4) victory over Renee Brown and Ali St. Vincent in the final doubles match to give Skidmore a 2-1 edge. Skidmore's No. 1 and No. 2 singles players, Jamie Levine and Inke Noel, won in straight sets to give the Thoroughbreds a 4-1 lead.

Powers won the opening set at No. 4 singles and led 6-5 in the second set, but Kenyon's Lauren Weymouth forced a tiebreaker. Skidmore's Ann Gruber came back to defeat Erin Hockman of Kenyon, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3, at No. 3 singles to clinch the championship for the Thoroughbreds. Nos. 4, 5 and 6 singles were not finished.

In the third-place match, Gustavus Adolphus edged Amherst, 5-4.

Skidmore also won its first individual title as Levine downed Caryn Cuthbert of Kenyon, 6-0, 6-0, May 11. Levine was last year's runner-up.

Cuthbert had more success in doubles, where she teamed with Hockman for a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (4) win over Amanda Mitchell and Nicole Podendorf of the College of New Jersey. Hockman was part of last year's runner-up doubles team. The title also was the first for Kenyon in either singles or doubles.

Division III women's tennis

TEAM RESULTS

First round

Amherst 9, UC San Diego 0; Skidmore 6, Luther 3; Emory 7, Col. of New Jersey 2; Wash. & Lee 5, Williams 3; Gust. Adolphus 5, Sewanee 1; Claremont-M-S 6, Hope 3.

Quarterfinals

Amherst 6, Trinity (Tex.) 3; Skidmore 6, Emory 3; Gust. Adolphus 6, Wash. & Lee 3; Kenyon 6, Claremont-M-S 3.

Semifinals

Skidmore 5, Amherst 2; Kenyon 5, Gust. Adolphus 0.

Third place

Gust. Adolphus 5, Amherst 4

Doubles -- No. 1: Lisa Broughten-Meghan Donley, Gust. Adolphus, def. Neely Steinberg-Kristen Ogden, Amherst, 8-3; No. 2: Raphaela Dohm-Erica Hanson, Gust. Adolphus, def. Jamie Cohen-Carolyn Pastel, Amherst, 8-3; No. 3: Erin Janes-Misty Redman, Gust. Adolphus, def. Sally Childs-Sam Toerge, Amherst, 8-3.

Singles -- No. 1: Cohen, Amherst, def. Broughten, Gust. Adolphus, 7-5, 6-1; No. 2: Steinberg, Amherst, def. Hanson, Gust. Adolphus, 7-6 (0), 6-2; No. 3: Donley, Gust. Adolphus, def. Toerge, Amherst, 6-2, 6-2; No. 4: Childs, Amherst, def. Dohm, Gust. Adolphus, 6-3, 6-3; No. 5: Pastel, Amherst, def. Janes, Gust. Adolphus, 6-2, 7-6 (1); No. 6: Redman, Gust. Adolphus, def. Ogden, Amherst, 6-1, 6-1.

Championship

Skidmore 5, Kenyon 1

Doubles -- No. 1: Caryn Cuthbert-Erin Hockman, Kenyon, def. Jamie Levine-Inke Noel, Skidmore, 8-6; No. 2: Lisa Powers-Heather Wood, Skidmore, def. Renee Brown-Ali St. Vincent, Kenyon, 9-8 (4); Sam Brophy-Ann Gruber, Skidmore, def. Nan Sagooleim-Codi Scarbrough, Kenyon, 8-3.

Singles -- No. 1: Levine, Skidmore, def. Cuthbert, Kenyon, 6-3, 6-1; No. 2: Noel, Skidmore, def. St. Vincent, Kenyon, 6-3, 6-2; No. 3: Gruber, Skidmore, def. Hockman, Kenyon, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

Singles

First round: Elina Tolppa, Averett, def. Lola Taylor, Trinity (Tex.), 6-3, 7-5; Amanda Mitchell, Col. of New Jersey, def. Jenny Coleman, Sewanee, 6-0, 6-2; Blair Rubenstein, Claremont-M-S, def. Karen Lui, Chicago, 6-3, 6-4; Julie Sterner, Emory, def. Jill Mazza, Rochester, 6-2, 6-4; Caryn Cuthbert, Kenyon, def. Keri Mills, Carnegie Mellon, 6-2, 6-2; Sarah Marks, Williams, def. Melanie Puetz, St. Thomas (Minn.), 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4); Kirsten Olsen, UC San Diego, def. Erica Hanson, Gust. Adolphus, 6-4, 6-2; Brook Hartzell, Wash. & Lee, def. Heather Gorman, Pomona-Pitzer, 6-0, 6-1; Ali St. Vincent, Kenyon, def. Taylor Tarver, Rhodes 6-0, 6-1; Katrina Mitchell, Bowdoin, def. Jill Kossman, Luther, 6-1, 6-1; Ericka Shapard, Wash. & Lee, def. Rosie Cella, Claremont-M-S, 7-6 (5), 6-0; Jamie Cohen, Amherst, def. Bridget Humphrey, Pomona-Pitzer, 6-2, 6-1; Kanta Murali, Smith, def. Mary Missbach, Sewanee, 6-2, 6-1; Alexa Wilensky, Emory, def. Lisa Broughten, Gust. Adolphus, 7-5, 7-5; Molly Cope, Wis.-Eau Claire, def. Maria Nguyen, UC San Diego, 6-4, 0-6, 6-4; Jamie Levine, Skidmore, def. Lea Schon, Mary Washington, 7-5, 6-1.

Second round: Tolppa, Averett, def. Mitchell, Col. of New Jersey, 6-3, 6-1; Sterner, Emory, def. Rubenstein, Claremont-M-S, 6-0, 5-7, 6-2; Cuthbert, Kenyon, def. Marks, Williams, 6-3, 6-3; Olsen, UC San Diego, def. Hartzell, Wash. & Lee, 6-0, 6-1; Mitchell, Bowdoin, def. St. Vincent, Kenyon, 6-3, 7-5; Cohen, Amherst, def. Shapard, Wash. & Lee, 6-2, 6-4; Murali, Smith, def. Wilensky, Emory, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2; Levine, Skidmore, def. Cope, Wis.-Eau Claire, 6-1, 6-1.

Quarterfinals: Tolppa, Averett, def. Sterner, Emory, 6-2, 6-0; Cuthbert, Kenyon, def. Olsen, UC San Diego, 6-3, 6-4; Mitchell, Bowdoin, def. Cohen, Amherst, by default; Levine, Skidmore, def. Murali, Smith, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Semifinals: Cuthbert, Kenyon, def. Tolppa, Averett, 7-6 (5), 6-3; Levine, Skidmore, def. Mitchell, Bowdoin, 6-4, 6-3.

Championship: Jamie Levine, Skidmore, def. Caryn Cuthbert, Kenyon, 6-0, 6-0.

Doubles

First round: Caryn Cuthbert-Erin Hockman, Kenyon, def. Alexa Wilensky-Julie Sterner, Emory, 6-2, 6-1; Daphne King-Sarah Marks, Williams, def. Lola Taylor-Nadine Nitisusanta, Trinity (Tex.), 7-6 (3), 6-3; Ericka Shapard-Berry Blankinship, Wash. & Lee, def. Lisa Broughten-Meghan Donley, Gust. Adolphus, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4; Rosie Cella-Julie Kirkpatrick, Claremont-M-S, def. Kristy Brown-Jill Mazza, Rochester, 6-2, 6-2; Leah Morris-Sarah Chase, Mary Washington, def. Kirsten Olsen-Maria Nguyen, UC San Diego, 6-3, 6-4; Jamie Levine-Inke Noel, Skidmore, def. Jill Kossman-Maria Miller, Luther, 6-0, 7-6 (5); Bridget Humphrey-Heather Gorman, Pomona-Pitzer, def. Karen Lui-Julie Calhoon, Chicago, 6-3, 7-6 (1); Amanda Mitchell-Nicole Podendorf, Col. of New Jersey, def. Taylor Tarver-Kasey Sweeney, Rhodes, 6-3, 6-1.

Quarterfinals: Cuthbert-Hockman, Kenyon, def. King-Marks, Williams, 6-4, 6-2; Shapard-Blankinship, Wash. & Lee, def. Cella-Kirkpatrick, Claremont-M-S, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-2; Levine-Noel, Skidmore, def. Morris-Chase, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2; Mitchell-Podendorf, Col. of New Jersey, def. Humphrey-Gorman, Pomona-Pitzer, 6-2, 6-1.

Semifinals: Cuthbert-Hockman, Kenyon, def. Shapard-Blankinship, Wash. & Lee, 6-3, 7-5; Mitchell-Podendorf, Col. of New Jersey, def. Levine-Noel, Skidmore, 6-2, 6-3.

Championship: Cuthbert-Hockman, Kenyon, def. Mitchell-Podendorf , Col. of New Jersey, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (4).