Air Force Academy

Oct. 18, 2003

Senior Laura Nigro won a pair of matches Friday to advance to the round of 16 at the St. Mary's College Women's Tennis Invitational in Moraga, Calif. Nigro, the third-seed in the 82-player draw, will face Aude Lambert of St. Mary's on Saturday.

Nigro earned a bye in the first round, then defeated Nicole Sakai of the University of the Pacific, 7-5, 6-1 in the round of 64. She followed that with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Fresno State's Courtney Jantz to earn a spot in the round of 16.

Sophomores Kat Bushey and Katie Tomkie each won her first match of the day before losing. Bushey beat Anne-Joy DeGraan of St. Mary's College, 6-1, 6-2 before falling to the fourth-seed, Roberta Fessenko of Sacramento State, 6-2, 6-0 in the round of 32. Tomkie, meanwhile, won her first-round match, 6-3, 6-4 over Christine Tilley of Nevada-Reno, then lost to Katharina Heil of the Univeristy of the Pacific, 6-0, 6-0.

In doubles, Bushey paired with freshman Karissa Walker to defeat Audrey Wingo and Jennifer Fong of UC Davis, 8-3, and will face the second-seeded team of Margarita Kaurnakhova and Marta Gronowicz from Sacramento State Saturday in the round of 32.

Nigro and senior Gina Black comprise the third-seeded doubles team in the tournament and will open on Saturday against Kelly Leathers and Kim Daniel of Santa Clara. The Falcons' other doubles team of Tomkie and freshman Kelly Morgan lost in the first round to Katie and Kelly Murphy of Sonoma State, 8-6.

St. Mary's College ITA Invitational - Air Force Results

Singles Round of 128
Katie Tomkie, AF d. Christine Tilley, UNR 6-3; 6-4

Singles Round of 64
Petra Abraham, Sac d. Gina Black, AF 6-3; 6-0
Dunya Stankovic, SMC d. Kelly Morgan, AF 6-2; 6-1
Laura Nigro, AF d. Nicole Sakai, UOP 7-5; 6-1
Viktoria Hizo, UOP d. Karissa Walker, AF 6-2; 6-2
Kat Bushey, AF d. Anne-Joy deGraan, SMC 6-1; 6-2
Katharina Heil, UOP d. Katie Tomkie, AF 6-0; 6-0

Singles Round of 32
Laura Nigro, AF d. Courtney Jantz, FSU 6-2; 6-3
Roberta Fessenko, Sac d. Kat Bushey, AF 6-2; 6-0

Doubles Round of 64
Murphy - Murphy, Son d. Morgan - Tomkie, AF 8-6
Walker - Bushey, AF d. Wingo - Fong, Ucd 8-3