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Women's Tennis Ends Successful Season With Loss To Barry

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By BART O'CONNELL

Tribune correspondent

Published: May 10, 2008

Saint Leo's first bid in the NCAA Division II Women's Tennis Tournament ended quickly at the hands of one of the nation's top teams.

The Lions lost 5-0 to Barry in the opening round of the 64-team event Friday.

Nevertheless, it was the most successful season in the growing program's history. Lina Benkirane, Asmaa Tazi, Shaena Keefe, Taylor Cleaves, Veronica Queen and Gina Schifano teamed to win 13 matches.

In doubles play, Queen and Schifano were Saint Leo's best tandem with 16 victories, while Schifano and Tazi had 15 wins apiece in singles play. Benkirane was 8-15 at No. 1 singles and Benkirane and Tazi were 11-12 at No. 1 doubles.

CORNUET'S RALLY FALLS SHORT: Following an opening-round 81 in the NCAA II Men's Golf South Region Tournament, junior golfer Matt Cornuet finished with rounds of 79 and 72 to finish 43rd in the tournament, which was held at Grey Rock Country Club in Austin, Texas, and concluded Wednesday.

Cornuet was the Lions' only representative in the field, which was won by West Florida. The Argonauts' Kyle Scott (67-70-67) took individual medalist honors.

MORE HONORS FOR SOFTBALL: Junior softball player Ashley Urbanik has been piling up the awards since the Lions' regular season concluded.

The Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year was named to All-South Region first team by Daktronics (Wednesday) and by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (Friday). The NFCA nod makes her eligible for that group's All-American balloting.
Urbanik has backed up those honors through the first two games of the NCAA II South Regional, going 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA. In 15 innings, she allowed just four hits, with 20 strikeouts against five walks. Opponents hit .078 against her.

In addition to Urbanik's accolades, first baseman Ally Maddox was named to the 2008 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District second team. She hit .319 with five homers and 20 RBIs in the regular season.

FRIDAY'S GAME DELAYED: The No. 3-seeded softball team's South Region winner's bracket final against No. 1-seed Barry was delayed due to inclement weather in Miami Shores on Friday and was not complete by press time, though it was expected to be completed by the end of the day.

Bart O'Connell can be reached at boconnell@pop.tampatrib.com.

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