Sports

Results: NIRSA 2007 USTA Campus Championship

Part of the National Campus Championship Series

Texas A&M University, National Champions

University of Virginia, National Runner-up

University of Illinois, Silver Division Champions

University of California, Davis, Bronze Division Champions

University of South Carolina, Copper Division Champions

The Texas A&M University tennis club captured its fourth straight title on April 28, beating the University of Virginia, at the 2007 USTA National Campus Championship presented by Tennis Warehouse. This 64-team national championship, the culmination of the USTA Tennis On Campus season, took place April 26-28 at the Cary Tennis Park in Cary, North Carolina.

The national title is the Texas A&M tennis club's fourth straight and their fifth in six years. Texas A&M also beat University of Virginia in last year's final and in the 2004 final. Texas A&M has now won 29 straight matches at this event over the past four years and has reached the last six finals. This event, which dates back to 2000, offers a national championship for non-varsity club and intramural tennis programs.

The championship opened on April 26 with 16, 4-team pools, with teams advancing to bracket play on the following two days. The first-place teams from each of the 16 pools advance to one bracket (that determines the overall champion), the second-place teams from the pools advance to another bracket, the third-place teams advance to a third bracket, and the fourth-place teams to a fourth bracket. Other winners included:

• Silver Division: University of Illinois defeated University of Wisconsin–Madison
• Bronze Division: University of California, Davis defeated Villanova University
• Copper Division: University of South Carolina defeated University of Oregon

The tournament is administered in partnership by the United States Tennis Association (USTA), NIRSA, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) and World TeamTennis (WTT). This partnership has not only resulted in record participation at this championship, but in growing interest and participation in club and intramural tennis on college campuses throughout the country. Many of the 64 participating programs were established in the last eight years and represent well over 4,000 additional players at their respective campuses.

As part of the Tennis On Campus season, all 17 USTA Sections hold Championships, with the winner of each receiving an automatic bid to the National 2007 USTA Campus Championship.

The inaugural USTA National Campus Championship, held in 2000, featured a total of 10 teams. Participation records have been set at each of the seven ensuing championships. Past championships have been held in Austin, Texas; Daytona Beach, Florida; and San Diego, California.

NIRSA would like to give a huge thanks to Kim Clark, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, who was the director of competition and works on the event throughout the year. Other NIRSA professionals who put in many hours over the tournament were Stephanie Thompson, Texas State University–San Marcos; Lisa Hanson, North Carolina State University; and Bob Gough, University of North Carolina Wilmington. Thank you!