DENVER – Idaho’s Cristobal Ramos Salazar and Chicago State’s Kirsa Utech have been named the Western Athletic Conference men’s and women’s Tennis Athletes of the Week, respectively, for Feb. 3-9.
Ramos Salazar, a junior from Hermosillo, Mexico, went a combined 4-0 on the week with a pair of straight-set singles wins and two wins at the top doubles spot, including an 8-5 win at No. 1 doubles over No. 44 Washington. In the No. 4 singles slot, Ramos Salazar beat Washington’s Jeff Hawke 6-2, 6-3 and San Francisco’s Rich Van Hout 6-2, 6-2. He improves to 6-0 in doubles, all at No. 1, and 5-1 in singles this season, for a combined mark of 11-1 through Idaho’s first six matches.
Utech, a freshman from Nindorf, Germany (Meldorfer Gelehrtenschule), went 2-0 in No. 1 singles play and 1-0 in No. 2 doubles play, helping Chicago State split a doubleheader against SIUE and Dayton. Utech dropped SIUE’s Monique Krutak 6-3, 6-0 and defeated Dayton’s Sammi Hornbarger 6-1, 6-1. Utech has now won three straight singles matches at No. 1 singles and three straight in doubles play.
Other Men’s Nominees: Joseph Bishop, Texas-Pan American.
Other Women’s Nominees: Silvia Tumova, Grand Canyon … Almudena Sanz, Idaho … Ashvarya Shrivastava, New Mexico State … Corinne Wurden, Seattle U.