Classic Action
Despite losing such graduates as Annelie Van den Heever, left, the Shockers fared well at the Billiken 2002 Fall Women’s Tennis Classic with WSU freshmen Genevieve Spink and Wendi Webster winning the “B” Doubles Consolation title. The duo lost its first-round match, but came back to win two consecutive matches to nab the consolation championship.
Coach Les Stafford, who’s led the women’s tennis program since 1990, says he and the Shockers are striving to return to the days when WSU finished no lower than second in The Valley for eight straight years — and are looking forward to mvc Team Championship action slated for April 25-27, 2003 in Springfield, Ill.
Kansas Invitational
WSU’s men’s golf team, coached by Grier Jones, ended play at the Kansas Invitational Sept. 24, taking third in the 14-team field. The event was played on the par-72, 6,950-yard, Alvamar Golf Club in Lawrence, Kan. Two seniors finished in the top-10 of the leaderboard: Julien Trudeau, who was fourth in the field of 81 competitors, and Jason Novascone, who tied for ninth.
Young and Fearless
Wichita State’s Sara Younes was the only Shocker volleyball player named to the Southwest Missouri State/Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational All-Tournament Team on Sept. 21.
The selection marks the second time this season that Younes, a sophomore, has been named to an all-tournament team and the fifth in six tournaments overall since she joined the Shockers last season. A year ago, she was named the MVC Newcomer-of-the-Year, becoming just the fifth Shocker in school history to earn the honor and the first since Kori Rosenkranz garnered the distinction in 1992. Younes led the conference in ace average (0.541), knocking down 53 aces in 98 games.
Younes and the Shockers, who are coming off their best conference finish since the 1988 season — a tie for seventh — boast a young and fearless attitude as they continue their quest for a conference championship. Coached by Chris Lamb, the team returns four starters from last season’s squad, which posted an 11-16 record. Yet 14 of 17 roster candidates are freshmen and sophomores, making for an interesting blend of youth and experience. The 2002 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament is set for Nov. 22-24 in Peoria, Ill.
