Monday, 04/27/2009

MOBILE, ALA. -- Xavier University of Louisiana won the men's and women's tennis championships Friday at the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament, and both teams earned automatic bids in next month's NAIA National Championships.<br /> The Gold Rush, 16-6 and 18th in the NAIA coaches poll, defeated Mobile 6-0 to win the men's title for the third consecutive year and become the first HBCU to qualify for the men's national tournament since the event went to a dual-match format in 2000. The No. 15 Gold Nuggets (18-6) beat Mobile 7-1 to win their sixth title in eight years and earn their fourth bid to nationals and their second in a row.<br /> Xavier's Terry Richardson and Anastesia Opata were named GCAC players of the year after rallying to win No. 1 singles matches in the finals. Richardson, a senior who also won the men's award in 2007, defeated Ale Vial 3-6, 6-1, 6-0. Opata, a junior, scored the final four points of her match to beat Claudia Borges 3-6, 6-0, 1-0 (10-8).<br /> XU freshman Steffen Giles-Osborn was selected men's Newcomer of the Year, and XU's Alan Green won the men's and women's Coach of the Year awards.<br /> The team titles give Xavier a school-record four teams which qualified for NAIA National Championships in the same academic year. XU's men's and women's cross country teams qualified for nationals in November. During the past four seasons Xavier teams combined to win 17 GCAC team championships and qualify for 12 NAIA national tourneys.<br /> Xavier's women, who lost 5-4 to Mobile in the 2008 final, reached the championship round with a 7-0 victory over Belhaven. The Gold Rush defeated Spring Hill 6-0 in a men's semifinal which include five matches won without losing a game.<br /> END<br /> Sent via BlackBerry by AT&amp;T<br />