Women’s Tennis Has Strong Showing In ITA Pre-Season Polls

The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) announced the Division III Central Region pre-season rankings in early November.  The ITA named five individual Gustavus tennis players to the top-20 and two doubles teams in the top-10.  Gustavus ranks seventh in the ITA Pre-Season National Team Poll.

Sam Frank (Mahtomedi, Minn.), Megan Gaard (Edina, Minn.), Marianne Barau (Glencoe, Minn.), Maria Bryan (Edina, Minn.), and Alex Erickson (Minnetonka, Minn.) were included in the list.  Sam Frank, who finished runner-up at the 2010 ITA Small College Championships on Oct. 14-17, is the top ranked player in the Central Region.  Megan Gaard also cracked the top-five, ranking fourth following a second place finish at the 2010 USTA/ITA Midwest Regional held at Gustavus earlier this fall.  Marianne Barau and Maria Bryan rank sixth and ninth, respectively, while Alex Erickson rounds out the group ranked 13th.  “Having five players in the top-13 is the best we have ever done,” said Head Coach Jon Carlson.

In the doubles rankings, Marianne Barau and Megan Gaard rank third, while Sam Frank and Maria Bryan rank fourth.  Barau and Gaard defeated Frank and Bryan in the 2010 Midwest Regional Doubles Final 7-5, 6-3.  Gaard and Barau lost their first round match at the ITA Small College Championships 1-6, 3-6.

Complete ITA Rankings