DENVER - NM State's singles player Enrique Asmar and Grand Canyon's singles player Martina Lo Pumo, and Chicago State's doubles team Christian Gonzalez and Felix Savard and Kansas City's doubles team Melinda Johnson and Yana Grechkina have been named the Western Athletic Conference Tennis Players of the Week, respectively, for Jan. 22-28.
Asmar, a junior from Barranquilla, Colombia, swept all three opponents in NM State's dual season-opening weekend on the road and at home this past week. He opened things up with a quick 6-1, 6-1 victory against the sixth flight from San Francisco. This individual win was NM State's lone singles win. Asmar then clinched the match for his team against Saint Mary's when he bested its fourth flight singles player 6-4, 6-4. At home he was the first to finish when he defeated Mesa Community College's fourth flight singles player, 6-1, 6-1.
Lo Pumo, a freshman from Sicily, Italy, competed at No. 1 in both the match ups against UC Irvine and UC Riverside. She bested her opponent from UC Irvine with a comeback victory 5-7, 6-5, 6-0. She then went to beat UC Riverside's competitor, 7-5, 6-3.
Gonzalez, a senior from Mungia, Spain, and teammate Savard, a junior from Laval, Quebec, earned a pair of wins last week for Chicago State. The duo posted a tight 7-6 (4) victory at home against Green Bay before concluding the week with a close 8-6 win at Cardinal Stritch. The wins improved the duo's record to 7-4 on the year.
Johnson, a junior from Overland Park, Kan., and partner Grechkina, a sophomore from Vladimir, Russia, joined forces to defeat two No. 1 opponents. First they took down Arkansas State's duo in a tight 7-6 (3) battle. The next day they came out again and defeated Central Arkansas's top duo, 6-4.
Other male singles nominees: Chicago State's Gonzalo Martinez claimed a singles victory over Green Bay as he finished with a score of 7-5, 7-6 (6) … Kansas City's Airam Castellano beat his first flight opponent from William Jewell, 6-1, 6-3 … Seattle U's Colton Weeldreyer came out victorious over his second flight opponent from Portland State, 6-3, 7-6 … UT Rio Grande Valley's Koby Jansen closed out the match with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Prairie View A&M's first flight competitor.
Other female singles nominees: Chicago State's Mariya Kostyuk earned a dominating win over Green Bay (6-2, 6-2) and Cardinal Stritch (6-1, 6-2) before falling against IUPUI (6-7 (5-7), 4-6) … Kansas City's Aliona Ladutska took home a pair of victories in the first flight against Arkansas State (6-1, 6-1) and Central Arkansas (1-6, 6-1, 6-3) … Seattle U's Michelle Lui beat a pair of first flight competitors from Cal State Stanislaus (6-4, 7-6 (8-6) and Pacific (6-1, 4-6, 10-7), while falling to Academy of Art (4-6, 6-7 (4-7)) … UT Rio Grande Valley's Dominique Esparza defeated first flight competition from Prairie View A&M (6-2, 6-2) and Texas A&M Kingsville (4-6, 6-2, 10-6).
Other male doubles nominees: Kansas City's Airam Castellano/Alex Pozo took down first flight duo from William Jewell, 6-0… NM State's Christofer Goncalves/Luis Flores continue to dominate as the won their 10th and 11th matches, defeating duos from San Francisco and Mesa CC … Seattle U's Emilio Monroy/Matt Alderson came together to defeat Portland State's second flight 7-5.
Other female doubles nominees: Chicago State's Mariya Kostyuk/Katarina Drazic teamed up for the first time to defeat the second flighta from Green Bay and Cardinal Stritch … Grand Canyon's Martina Lo Pumo/Autum Prudhomme joined forces to defeat UC Irvine's third flight 6-3 and UC Riverside's third flight 7-6 (7) to clinch the doubles point for the Lopes … Seattle U's Michelle Lui/Kelli Woodman topped duos from Cal State Stanislaus and Pacific and fell to the No. 1 team from the Academy of Art 6-7 (6-8) … UT Rio Grande Valley's Doris Aleksovska/Anastasia Belyaeva defeated Texas A&M Kingsville's third flight to clinch the doubles point.