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Women’s Tennis

IU prepared for tough Terps
Having sailed through its first four matches, the women’s tennis team is ready for its first real test this weekend.

IU begins play 11 a.m. Sunday against Maryland. The Hoosiers will be playing their fifth match of the season. The Terps begin their season against Purdue on Saturday.

“Normally when we play a team from another region, they’ve already played a couple matches,” IU coach Lin Loring said. “This is just kind of different, going into this not quite knowing what lineup or what team members to expect.”

After last year’s 5-2 win, the No. 30 Hoosiers are prepared for a difficult competition.

“On paper they are probably going to be the best team we’ve played yet,” Loring said. “On paper it looks like they’re better than last year. After we see their scores with Purdue and see their lineup, we’ll have an idea.”

With 7-0 sweeps against Marquette and Ball State last weekend, IU is off to a strong start.

The Hoosiers face Butler at 4 p.m., also – a match they are highly favored to win, Loring said.

“We still have a lot of areas we need to improve in singles and doubles,” Loring said. “The key for us is to just improve from last weekend to this weekend. Our big challenge will be to get through the first match.”
– By Stephanie Kuzydym

Track & Field

Teams hold 4th straight meet
“Home sweet home” continues to be the theme for the Hoosiers.

For the fourth straight weekend to open the season, IU will host an event – the Indiana Relays at Gladstein Fieldhouse.

The competition gets under way 3 p.m. Friday. with the women’s 60-meter hurdles and concludes 4:50 p.m. Saturday. with the men’s 4 x 400-meter relays.

The Hoosiers have won a combined 30 events in their first three meets this season, highlighted by two IU records set last weekend at the Gladstein Invitational.

Molly Beckwith set a record in the 600-meter and Vera Neuenswander in the pole vault.
IU coach Ron Helmer said this weekend will be the best meet yet for the Hoosiers.

“I think we are getting better and better,” Helmer said. “Going forward, we have momentum and our performance is getting stronger.”
– By Ari Shifron

Wrestling

Men hit road for 2 matches
Coming off of a tie against then-No. 14 Penn State, the IU wrestling team heads to Columbus, Ohio and Ann Arbor, Mich., this weekend for two dual meets.

The Hoosiers (13-2-1, 0-0-1) face No. 5 Ohio State (9-1, 0-0) on Friday, followed by No. 18 Michigan on Sunday.

IU will try to carry momentum they built last Friday against the Nittany Lions. The Hoosiers won five of the final six matches in that meet.

This weekend features the last two Big Ten wrestlers of the week in Ohio State senior J Jaggers at 141-pound. and IU’s 125-pound. defending national champion Angel Escobedo.

Escobedo injured his knee against Penn State in addition to his already injured shoulder but is scheduled to wrestle.

Sophomore Kurt Kinser (149 lbs.) said momentum could play a huge role in deciding the contests.

“The main thing for us is to keep our momentum up,” Kinser said. “We’ve improved on certain things coming into conference matches.”

Kinser (13-2), No. 12 in his class, is coming off of a 23-8 win.

After Friday’s contest, IU will compete against Michigan Sunday. The Wolverines (5-6, 0-0) have won four of their last eight meets and will be at home for their fourth consecutive match.
– By Frank Therber

Women’s Golf

IU selected as host for 2010 regional meet
The NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Committee named IU’s home course as one of its three regional championship locations. The 2010 Women’s Golf Central Regional Championships will be held at the Otter Creek Golf Club in Columbus, Ind.

IU uses Otter Creek as its home golf club, and IU coach Clint Wallman said the familiar surroundings are a huge advantage.

“You know the key spots to hit the ball and, more importantly, where to miss it,” Wallman said. “It also has a big calming effect on the players.” 

Some of the Hoosiers’ competition will get a preview of the championship turf when the IU Invitational is played at Otter Creek on April 6 and 7. 

IU will start its spring season against Wisconsin on Feb. 1 in Phoenix, and tournament play will resume Feb. 8 at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.
 – By Ryan Winn

Men’s Tennis

Team faces 3 ranked teams
Hitting warm weather for the third time since Jan. 4, the tennis team competes this weekend in Athens, Ga., at the National Indoor Qualifier.

The weekend outlook includes three highly ranked teams.

“It’s just a really good opportunity to show how good we are and see how far we can get and represent our school,” senior Peter Antons said.

This weekend also brings the men’s third tripleheader. With a 4-2 record, the No.55 Hoosiers begin their weekend matches against No. 36 Washington. Antons said the Hoosiers are used to three matchups in one weekend.

“It’s going to be harder than our first one just because there are harder teams here,” he said. “It’s just going to be a new experience for sure. The guys are ready. We’ve been working hard and training a lot.”

Strong competition continues when the Hoosiers face No. 3 Georgia. The Bulldogs have two top-50 ranked sophomores.

“You really have nothing to lose, and you can just play your own game,” Antons said. “Some people get uptight, but I just get relaxed and play even better. I really want it more because it’s such a good opportunity, so I’m looking forward to this weekend.”

IU will finish the weekend against No. 51 South Carolina, looking for its first win against them in team history. The Gamecocks also have two nationally ranked competitors.

“We’re playing some good teams,” Antons said. “We just have to trust our training.”
– By Stephanie Kuzydym