For Immediate Release: Saturday, 20 September 2003
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Sports Information Director, (956) 381-2240

BRONCS WIN TWO OF FOUR FINALS AT BRENTWOOD INTERCOLLEGIATE

BEAUMONT, TX-The University of Texas-Pan American's men's tennis team won two championships and lost two final matches in championship round play as action concluded at the Brentwood Intercollegiate Invitational Tournament at the Lamar University Tennis Center Saturday.

Sophomores Oliver Steil (Brunssum, The Netherlands/AF North International School) and Nik Porter (Tunbridge Wells, England/Bennett Memorial School) won the B flight doubles championship. They defeated Javier Easton and Juan Pablo Alatorre of Lamar, 8-3, and Kyle Mims and Ian Vasquez-Rowe of Texas-Arlington, 8-5, to advance to the finals. Steil and Porter defeated Haris Huremovic and Paul Birkett of Southeastern Louisiana in the finals, 9-8, winning the tie-breaker by a 9-7 score.

Freshman Gary Bianco (Annecy, France/Lycee Berthollet) was victorious in flight D singles. Bianco defeated Ryan Trichel of SLU, 6-1, 6-0, and Christian Olivier of Lamar, 6-4, 6-2, to get to the finals. Bianco downed Texas-Arlington's Josey Trimmier for the championship, 6-1, 7-5.

In flight A doubles, junior Jeremy Salvo (Coquitlam, BC/Centennial Secondary) and sophomore Rehman Esmail (Coquitlam, BC/Dr. Charles Best Secondary/North Carolina State) lost in the finals to David Corrie and Niels Buksik of UTA, 8-4. They defeated Ignacio Melus and Jonathan Capps of Lamar, 8-5, and Eric Subirats and Josh Smith of SLU, 8-5, to reach the finals.

Freshman Sebastian Aspillaga (Santiago, Chile/Lycee Francaise de Chili/Louisville) lost in the flight B singles final to Buksik, 4-6, 6-4, (10-4) in a super tie-breaker. Aspillaga downed Subirats, 6-4, 4-6, (10-8) and Naeem Kath of Lamar, 7-5, 3-6, (14-12) to reach the championship.

"I felt pretty good about the way we played," said UTPA Head Coach Eduardo Provencio. "We were in four of the six finals, and we won two, so it was a good performance for early in the year. It also gave us a chance to see what we need to work on. Overall, it went well."

The Lady Broncs will make their debut at Lamar next weekend, while the Broncs return to action at the UTA Invitational in two weeks.

TE-04-04 092003