DENVER - Kansas City's singles players Diego Giraldo and Melinda Johnson, and Chicago State's doubles team Christian Gonzalez and Felix Savard and UT Rio Grande Valley's doubles team Marine Darzyan and Dominique Ibarra have been named the Western Athletic Conference Tennis Players of the Week, respectively, for Feb. 5-11.
Giraldo, a freshman from Medellin, Colombia, clinched the 4-3 team victory over Creighton with a 6-2, 6-7 (7-9), 6-1 win in the fourth flight. The next day, he was victorious over Nebraska's number four 6-3, 6-2 for his third straight victory.
Johnson, a senior from Overland Park, Kan., came back from behind to win in the third flight against Creighton with a score of 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 7-5. With the victory, she received the team's fifth and final point in the 5-2 victory. Later in the weekend, she beat Air Force's number three 6-1, 6-3.
Gonzalez, a senior from Mungia, Spain, and teammate Savard, a junior from Laval, Quebec, Canada, extended their dual-match winning streak to six consecutive matches at number one doubles during last week's action before finishing the week with a 2-1 record. The duo posted a close 7-5 win at Detroit Mercy and followed that with a 6-2 victory over Purdue Northwest before dropping a 6-1 decision at Northwestern.
Darzyan, a junior from Vogolgrod, Russia and partner Ibarra, a junior from Barcelona, Spain, recorded the only doubles win against UTSA. They finished with a score of 7-5 on court one for the duo's first win of the season.
Other male singles nominees: NM State's Christofer Goncalves won a close match up in the first flight against UT Permian Basin with a score of 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 (10-8)… Seattle U's Jeremiah Kalmus went 2-0 with a victory over Linfield's fifth flight 6-0, 6-3 and Idaho State's sixth flight 7-5, 6-2… UT Rio Grande Valley's Koby Jansen beat Incarnate Word's first flight 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Other female singles nominees: Chicago State's Iesha Shepherd battled for the fourth flight 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 victory over Detroit Mercy in a thrilling three set match-up… Grand Canyon's Lana Rinaldi lost to Cal State Fullerton's second flight 6-1, 6-3 and beat San Jose State's second flight 6-3, 6-3… NM State's Rebecca Keijzerwaard captured a 6-1, 6-3 victory at the top singles slot against UT Permian Basin… UT Rio Grande Valley's Marine Darzyan defeated UTSA's second flight competitor 6-3, 6-4.
Other male doubles nominees: NM State's Christofer Goncalves/Luis Flores beat UT Permian Basin's first flight 6-1… Seattle U's Alex Chan/ Arshak Ghazaryan beat Linfield's third flight 6-1 and went unfinished against Idaho State's third flight 6-6… UT Rio Grande Valley's Koby Jansen/Yehonatan Kaufman were victorious over Incarnate Word's first flight 6-3.
Other female doubles nominees: Chicago State's Lorea Gamboa/Leshia Gadacz recorded their fourth straight doubles win after winning 6-1 against Detroit Mercy's second flight… Grand Canyon's Martina Lo Pumo/Autum Prudhomme defeated Cal State Fullerton's third flight 6-4 and helped clinch the doubles point against San Jose State with a victory in the third flight 6-3… Kansas City's Katie Fries/Ioanna Lathouri went 2-0 on the weekend in the third flight with a victory over Creighton's duo 6-3 and Air Forces pair 6-2… NM State's Lindsay Harlas/Yadira Rubio beat their UT Permian Basin's opponents 6-2 on the top court.