C of C women down Furman to garner NCAA tennis berth

ELON, N.C. — The College of Charleston won the Southern Conference women's tennis tournament title with a 4-1 victory over top-seeded Furman in the final Sunday at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.

"Our girls laid it all on the line and left everything out on the court," said Cougars coach Angelo Anastopoulo, whose second-seeded team improved to 24-4. "They have battled through injuries all season and still managed to rise up to the occasion every time this season. (Sunday) they played the hardest I've ever seen them play.

"Anytime you can beat a team like Furman (17-8), it is special. They are an oustanding team. They have dominated the league year in and year out. We knew going into the tournament that we needed to play better at doubles. During the regular season we were 0-3 at the doubles point against the teams we played in the tournament. We went 3-0 this weekend, and that gave the girls a tremendous boost going into the singles."

The Cougars won their first conference championship since 2003 and secured the SoCon's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The 24 wins represent the most by a Charleston team since earning NCAA Division I status in 1991-92. The NCAA Tournament Selection Show will air on ESPNU at 5:20 p.m. Tuesday.

In doubles play, the teams split matches in the Nos. 1 and 3 spots. At No. 2, Kinsey Casey and Keely Mulligan earned a 9-8 victory to capture a team point for the Cougars.

After Furman won the first match in singles play, Charleston swept matches in the number four, six and two positions to get to the four points needed to clinch the SoCon championship.

Casey (No. 6), Anna Lee Evans (No. 4) and Holly Dowse (No. 2) supplied the singles wins the Cougars needed.

Singles: Laura Gioia (F) d. Laura Borza 6-0, 6-1; Holly Dowse (C) d. Monica Arguello 3-6, 6-3, 6-2; Jessica Preeg (F) vs. Caroline Newman 3-6, 6-3, unfinished; Anna Lee Evans (C) d. Susan Bitetti 6-1, 6-4; Lauren Tomory (F) vs. Keely Mulligan 6-7 (2-7), 6-2, unf.; Kinsey Casey (C) def. Jennifer Betts 7-5, 6-2.

Doubles: Arguello-Gioia (F) d. Evans-Borza 8-1; Casey-Mulligan (C) d. Tomory-Betts 9-8 (8-6); Dowse-Newman (C) d. Preeg-Bitetti 8-5.

--Furman (22-7) won its second straight SoCon men's tennis tournament championship, posting a 4-0 victory over host Elon (21-6). The Paladins earned the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.

College equestrian

The College of Charleston finished fourth in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association's National Championship at Miller Coliseum in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Sophomore Caitlin Smith captured first place in the Team Intermediate Flat Division on Thursday, earning the team's first seven points. On Friday, sophomore Crystal Threlfall added five points by finishing second in the Team Intermediate Fences. Senior Erica Carson added another two points with a fifth-place finish in the Team Walk-Trot division.

In addition to the team competition, Smith placed seventh in the Individual Intermediate Division. Junior Wesley Laudeman finished 10th in the Individual Intermediate Fences competition.

Charleston was one of 18 teams to advance to the IHSA nationals.

National Team (C of C riders): Caitlin Smith - Open Fences; Hannah Mayer - Open Flat ; Crystal Threlfall -Intermediate Fences; Caitlin Smith - Intermediate Flat; Ali Dowty - Novice Fences; McKenzie Armour - Novice Flat; Meredith Kaywood - Walk Trot Canter; Erica Carson - Walk Trot

Final team leaders: 1. Centenary (N.J.) 24; 2. Kentucky 18; 3. Stanford 16; 4. College of Charleston 14; Skidmore 14; 5. Findlay 13; 6. Mount Holyoke 10; 7. Berry 8; Penn State 8; 8. Lafayette 7; 9. Wisconsin 6; 10. Sweet Briar 5; West Texas A&M 5.

College sailing

The College of Charleston placed fifth in A division and eighth in B division to finish seventh at the Thompson Trophy in New London, Conn. The Cougars posted 304 points, 14 points out of the top five. Boston College won the event with a two-day total of 207.

Charleston's Zeke Horowitz and Perry Emsiek finished in the top 10 in 14 of 18 races in A division and had 138 points. Bryan Rigby and Becky Bestoso sailed in B division and had 166 points, placing in the top 10 in 10 of the 18 races at the Coast Guard Academy.