DENVER ? Fresno State’s Tinesta Rowe and Boise State’s Luke Shields have been named the Western Athletic Conference Tennis Players of the Month for October.
Rowe, a junior from Ocho Rios, Jamaica (American Heritage), posted a perfect 5-0 doubles mark and a 4-1 singles record at the ITA Northwest Regional Championships at the University of Stanford in October. Rowe and teammate Melanie Gloria captured the doubles title by scores of 8-1, 8-2, 8-2, 8-2, and 8-6. Rowe was also impressive in the singles bracket, reaching the quarterfinals in a tournament filled with national-ranked opponents. In the round of 32, Rowe upset No. 9 Celia Durkin of Stanford in three sets, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.
Shields, a senior from Grand Junction, Colorado (Grand Junction), went a perfect 6-0 through singles play to capture the 2007 ITA Mountain Regional championship. Shields also advanced to the ITA Nationals, where he finished with a 0-2 mark. The fifth-ranked player in the nation, Shields’ run to the Mountain Regional title included a win over his brother, Clancy, in the singles championship match. Shields also teamed with his brother in doubles play at the Mountain Regional, finishing with a 2-1 record.
Other women’s tennis nominees included: Pichittra Thongdack of Boise State played her way to the semifinal round at the Racquet Club Collegiate Invitational in Midlands, Texas on Oct. 12, where she went 3-1 ... Hawai?i senior Chloe Bihag defeated Whitney Palluch of Cal State Northridge in straight sets at the Rainbow Wahine Invitational. She also defeated Loyola Marymount’s Audrey Bulkey in three sets at the Wilson/ITA Western Regional Championship ... New Mexico State junior Stephanie Eusebe won all five of her matches and was in the doubles title match of both the Cougar Fall Draw and the UNM Individual Invitational. Eusebe went 2-4 in singles play in October ... Brianna Harris of Utah State went 1-1 at No. 1 singles and 1-1 in doubles at the Round Robin Utah Invitational.
Other men’s tennis nominees included: Jim Brouleau of New Mexico State went 6-2 in singles play in the month of October. He won the top singles flight title at the UNM Balloon Fiesta Classic to claim his second singles title of the fall ... Fresno State junior Rudolf Siwy went 6-3 in October and was a participant in the prestigious ITA All-American in Tulsa, Okla. ... Sascha Heinemann of HawaiÖ¯i won three straight matches in the qualifying draw of the Polo Ralph Lauren All-American Championships to qualify into the main draw. He also won two matches in the main draw of the Western Regional Championship ... Utah State’s Jakob Asplund defeated No. 24 Jakob Dybala in the round of 128 at the ITA Regional in Las Vegas, and finished October with a 3-2 singles mark.