Illinois Wesleyan 2005 Women's Tennis Stories

Contact: Stew Salowitz (309) 556-3206

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May 25
For the second straight year, Illinois Wesleyan’s Lindsey Irwin has been elected to the first team of the District Five College Division all-academic at-large squad and will join representatives of seven other districts on the ESPN: The Magazine Academic All-America national ballot. Irwin, a tennis player from Belleville, Ill. (West HS), graduated April 30 with a 3.96 grade-point average (on a 4.0 scale) as a Spanish major. She was named to the first team of the all-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin women’s tennis team for four straight years as she finished the 2005 season with a 10-10 record as IWU’s No. 1 singles player and was 13-8 at No. 1 doubles. Playing primarily at No. 1 singles her entire career, Irwin is No. 16 in IWU career singles victories with a 44-28 record (.611).

December 7
Senior Debbie Bartell has been chosen as the “Most Valuable Player” for the 2005 Illinois Wesleyan women’s tennis team. Bartell was 14-1 at No. 3 singles and her only loss was a three-set defeat in the championship match of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin tournament. Bartell finished her career with a 50-18 record, placing her tied for sixth all-time at the school in singles victories. In other team honors, junior Sandy Tobik was named the team’s “Most Improved Player” and junior Harley Culbertson was elected as the 2006 team captain. Head coach Scott McCluskey, whose team placed third in the CCIW meet for the fourth straight season, awarded letters to 10 players.

October 18
Illinois Wesleyan seniors Lindsey Irwin and Debbie Bartell and freshman Allkison Heim have been recognized with all-conference honors for women's tennis in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin.
Irwin was chosen to the first team and Bartell and Heim earned second team honors. Playing at No. 1 singles, Irwin was 7-8 overall and 4-2 against CCIW opponents during the regular season while Bartell was 14-1 this fall playing at No. 3 singles and was 6-0 in CCIW matches. Heim was 12-4 playing at No. 2 singles.
Bartell finished her career with a 50-18 singles record, making her tied for No. 6 at IWU in singles wins, while Irwin finished with a 41-26 record, good for 16th all-time at the school in singles wins.

October 7-8
Illinois Wesleyan collected six third place finishes and three second place finishes to place third in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin women's tennis championships, held Oct. 7-8 at Bloomington's Evergreen Racquet Club. Lindsey Irwin got third at No. 1 singles and teamed with Alison Heim to place third at No. 1 doubles. Getting second place finishes were Debbie Bartell (No. 3 singles and with Kristina Sawyer at No. 2 doubles) and Sarah Rusch (No. 5 singles). Heim (No. 2), Sandy Tobik (No. 4) and Jane Szafraniec (No. 6) also got third place singles finishes for IWU.

September 30-October 1
The Illinois Wesleyan women's tennis team won two of three matches over the weekend of Sept. 30-Oct. 1. The Titans downed Illinois-Springfield, 7-2, and split College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin matches with Wheaton, losing 7-2, and Millikin, winning 9-0. IWU is 9-3 overall and 5-1 in CCIW play with the conference tournament scheduled for next weekend at Bloomington's Evergreen Racquet Club. Sandy Tobik was 2-1 at No. 4 singles and teamed with Hana Mueller for a win at No. 3 doubles over Millikin.

September 17-18
The Illinois Wesleyan women's tennis team didn't lose a set in taking two College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin matches over the weekend of Sept. 16-18. The Titans downed North Central, 9-0, on Sept. 16 and then won at Elmhurst, 9-0, on Sept. 18. Senior Debbie Bartell remained perfect at 9-0 in singles at No. 3 while freshman Allison Heim is 7-2 at No. 2 singles and sophomore Sarah Rusch is 7-1 at No. 5 singles. The No. 3 doubles team of Sandy Tobik and Hana Mueller is 8-1 and Heim and Lindsey Irwin are 7-2 at No. 1 singles.

September 14
After two losses over the weekend on an Iowa trip against Luther and Coe, the Illinois Wesleyan women's tennis team got back on the winning path, taking a 5-4 decision over Lewis in Joliet, Ill., on Wed., Sept. 14. The Titans are 5-2 overall. The Titans got singles wins from Allison Heim and Debbie Bartell and swept all three doubles matches with wins from Heim/Lindsay Irwin, Bartell/Kristina Sawyer, and Sandy Tobik/Hana Mueller. For the season, Bartell is 7-0 at No. 3 singles, Heim is 5-2 at No. 2 singles and Sarah Rusch is 5-1 at No. 5 singles.

September 2-3
The Illinois Wesleyan women’s tennis team opened its 2005 season with three wins, including two College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin victories. IWU downed UW-Whitewater, 5-4, on Sept. 2, and topped three-time defending CCIW champion Carthage by a 5-4 margin on Sept. 3. Also on Sept. 3 the Titans breezed past Augustana, 9-0. Senior captain Debbie Bartell and sophomore Sarah Rusch were both 3-0 in singles play for the weekend, with Bartell playing at No. 3 and Rusch at No. 5.

September
The 2005 version of the Illinois Wesleyan women’s tennis team, coached for the second season by Scott McCluskey, opens its campaign with three home matches on Sept. 2-3. IWU hosts Wisconsin-Whitewater on Fri., Sept. 2 at 4 p.m. at Beadles-Morse Courts, then will play College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin opponents Carthage at 9 a.m. and Augustana at 12:30 p.m. on Sat., Sept. 3. The Titans return sophomore Sarah Rusch, who won the No. 5 singles title at the 2004 CCIW tourney, team captain Debbie Bartell and Lindsey Irwin, whose career record of 34-18 is No. 18 among career wins at IWU. Bartell is 36-17 and No. 16 all-time in IWU singles wins.