Indiana University Athletics
Five Hoosiers to Compete at the ITA National Summer Championships
8/11/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Aug. 11, 2005
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Five Hoosiers are set to compete in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's National Summer Championships at their home courts at Indiana University. Tournament action begins at the Varsity Tennis Center on Saturday, Aug. 13 at 8:00 a.m. and runs through Aug. 16. This is the fifth consecutive year IU will host the National Summer Championships.
Top-returnees, Sarah Batty, Laura McGaffigan and Dora Vastag will compete in this year's Summer Championships. Sophomore Pam Gesellchen and incoming freshman Stephanie Heller (Northbrook, Ill./Glenn Brook North High School) are slated to participate as well.
"We are excited to host the final stop on the college summer circuit," head coach Lin Loring said. "This tournament will feature some of our program's top returning players and one of our newcomers."
Vastag, the only Hoosier in the National Tournament not to have competed in a regional, is expected to fair well at the Championships. Vastag finished the 2004-05 season in the No. 1 singles slot with a 18-20 overall record.
The other four Hoosiers participating in the Summer Championships recorded impressive finishes at their respective regionals. Combined, the four Indiana players captured two singles semifinal finishes and two doubles tournament championships.
Batty, who took part in three regionals this summer, took a second-place singles finish in at the Midwest's Bloomington tournament. Batty recorded three impressive wins before falling in a hard-fought match against Georgia Tech's Allison Silverio in the finals.
Additionally, Batty advanced to the fourth round of the singles bracket at the Southeast circuit in Gainesville, Fla. In doubles action, Batty and Hoosier partner, Brianna Williams, were victorious in the final doubles match by a score of 8-4 over a talented pair from North Carolina.
In Batty's third regional at Western Michigan, she again notched three wins to advance to the fourth round of singles play before coming up short to the eventual winner, Brooke Beier of Purdue. Like the Gainesville tournament, Batty took home first place in doubles with fellow Hoosier McGaffigan. The Hoosier duo captured the doubles victory, 8-3, over a talented Western Michigan pair of Carrie Jeanmaire and Melena Remynse.
McGaffigan also is prepared for a solid showing at this year's Summer National Tournament. McGaffigan came up just short in the finals of the Western Michigan regional to Purdue's Brooke Beier, who also eliminated Batty earlier that day. In doubles play, McGaffigan and Batty were victorious in the finals of the doubles bracket, 8-3, giving McGaffigan finals appearances in both singles and doubles.
Gesellchen is slated to compete in the Summer Nationals after her run at the Midwest regional in Bloomington. Gesellchen was defeated by Cleveland State's Abby Showalter, but was able to bounce back and record a win in the singles consolation bracket. Gesellchen found more success in the doubles. She and her partner, Murray State's Anne Pennington, upset a talented Western Michigan pair to advance to the semifinals.
Heller, who will be one of four incoming freshmen this fall, had an impressive first run on IU's home courts. Heller advanced to the second round of the singles draw with two convincing wins before falling on the second day of action to Murray State's Anna Lask at the Bloomington regional.
The winners of the ITA's Summer National Championship will earn wild card bids to the first national tournaments of the season, the ITA Men and Women's All-American Championships.
Batty, Gesellchen, Heller, McGaffigan and Vastag are not the only Hoosiers with involvement in the national tournament. Loring is the ITA's Summer Program's founder and national tournament director. Loring, who is entering his 29th season for the Hoosiers, began the summer circuit play in 1993. The National Summer Championships were added to the program in 1994. Nearly 20,000 student-athletes have participated in the summer action since the tournament's inception.
Results will be posted on IUHOOSIERS.com at the conclusion of each day's action.
