Friday, 09/14/2012

SKILLMAN, N.J. - Columbia women's tennis player Nicole Bartnik has been selected to compete in the most elite event of the fall season. The senior from Bradenton, Fla. has been selected to the main singles draw at the 2012 Riviera/ITA All-American Championships.

Bartnick was one 23 student-athletes from some of the best tennis programs in the nation selected to the main draw. The Riviera Tennis Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. will serve as the host site for the 28th year. Competition will begin with pre-qualifying singles and doubles Saturday, Sept. 29 and continue with the main draw Oct. 4-7.

Bartnik became the first Columbia player to be selected as the Ivy League Player of the Year last season. Her unanimous selection came after playing to a 14-3 record overall with a perfect 7-0 record in Ivy League matches as Columbia's top singles player.

Teammate Bianca Sanon will also be in action at the Riviera Tennis Club, as she has been selected to compete in the pre-qualifying singles draw. Sanon was a second team All-Ivy selection a year ago as a sophomore.

Sanon and doubles partner Tiana Takenaga also qualified for the pre-qualifying doubles draw. The duo garnered second team All-Ivy honors during the 2011-12 season.

Bartnik, Sanon and Takenaga, as well as the rest of the Lions each have a pair of tournaments prior to the All-American Championships. The Lions host the Columbia Invitational this weekend, Sept. 14-16, and then head to Philadelphia, Pa. for the Cissie Leary Invitational Sept. 21-23.