DENVER - NM State's singles player Christofer Goncalves and Seattle U's singles player Hannah Gianan, and Kansas City's doubles team Airam Castellano and Alex Pozo and Seattle U's doubles team Michelle Lui and Kelli Woodman have been named the Western Athletic Conference Tennis Players of the Week, respectively, for March 26-April 1.
Goncalves, a senior from Barquisimeto, Venezuela, swept all three conference opponents this past weekend. He first took down UT Rio Grande Valley's top singles player 6-4, 6-1 to clinch the match for NM State before taking down Chicago State 6-4, 6-3 on the top court. Goncalves then clinched the match for the Aggies on Saturday when he bested Seattle U's top competitor 6-1, 6-2. The three wins moved him to 22-7 overall this season in singles play and has won seven of seven of his last ten.
Gianan, a freshman from Camas, Wash., defeated Whitman College's second flight competitor 6-1, 6-0 as she helped her team get the overall 7-0 victory.
Castellano, a senior from Gran Canaria, Spain, and teammate Pozo, a senior from St. Louis, Mo., went 3-0 over the weekend in conference play as the top flight. They began the weekend defeating Chicago State's pair 6-2. The next day, they came together to take down Seattle U's duo 6-0 before completing the weekend with a 6-3 victory over Grand Canyon's competitors. The team went into the weekend ranked No. 76 in ITA Rankings and has won six of the last seven matches together. Castellano set the school record for career doubles wins with 67.
Lui, a senior from Bellevue, Wash., and partner Woodman, a redshirt senior from Denver, led the way for the Redhawks to shutout Whitman College with a 6-2 win on the top court in doubles competition.
Other male singles nominees: Chicago State's Christian Gonzalez defeated both of the fourth flights from Kansas City 4-6, 7-5, 13-11 and NM State 6-4, 1-6, 10-4… Grand Canyon's Lorenzo Fucile went 3-0 at the second flight defeating Seattle U 6-2, 7-5, UT Rio Grande Valley 6-4, 6-1 and Kansas City 6-3, 6-2… Kansas City's Airam Castellano extended his school record for singles wins in a career with the victories over Chicago State 6-4, 6-0, Seattle U 6-3, 6-0 and Grand Canyon 6-1, 6-2 all as the top flight.
Other female singles nominees: UT Rio Grande Valley's Dominique Esparza defeated Laredo Community College's top flight 6-0, 6-0.
Other male doubles nominees: Chicago State's Christian Gonzalez/Felix Savard was defeated by Kansas City's top flight 2-6 before ending the weekend victorious over NM State's top flight 7-5… Grand Canyon's Lucas Grego/Freddie Grant went 3-0 as the third flight defeating pairs from Seattle U 7-6 (1), UT Rio Grande Valley 7-5 and Kansas City 6-3… NM State's Stijn de Haan/Mauri Benitez went 3-0 at the second flight as they defeated duos from UT Rio Grande Valley 6-1, Chicago State 6-3 and Seattle U 6-0.
Other female doubles nominees: UT Rio Grande Valley's Dominique Ibarra/Marine Darzyan defeated the top duo from Laredo Community College 6-0.