Dragomirescu Captures ITCA Tourney

Five of the Harvard women's tennis players participated in the Intercollegiate Tennis Collegiate Association (ITCA) tournament at Penn over the weekend.

Harvard's Christina Dragomirescu, the tournament's 14th-seed, captured the individual title with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 victory over Brown's Anna Sloan, who was seeded third.

Dragomirescu advances to the National Indoor Championships in Minneapolis to be held next February.

"It was great," Dragomirescu said. "It was really unexpected. During each match I realized I could win it. Overall, it was a good tournament for us. Everybody played well."

"She had a great tournament," Harvard Coach Ed Krass said. "She was really strong. It's not that big of a surprise to me. I knew she had the capabilities to win it all. It was just a matter of putting it all together.

She continues to get better and better," Krass continued. "She has the potential to be something really great in this game. We're all proud of her."

To win the championship, the junior had to go through some stiff competition. In her first round match, Dragomirescu defeated Farliegh Dickerson's Rachel Gale, 6-1, 6-2. She went on to captue straight-set decisions over Richmond's Rebecca Cucuru, 6-3, 6-3, and Brown's Ann Fritzpatrick, 6-3, 6-1.

In the round of 16 she defeated Kellie Ervin, 6-4, 1-0 (retired), the tournament's fifth seed, and followed with a 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 triumph over Virgina's Riva Lapidus in the semifinals.

Strong Testament

Most of the players in the tournament play first or second for their respective team. It is a testament to Harvard's team strength, since seven players from Harvard were picked to play in the tournament.

"Everybody played so well," Mulvehal said. "It was a really good tournament. We never know how many players we are going to get in the tournament. For Harvard to get all seven players in a tournament is an indication of our strength."

In her first round match, Bland dropped a 6-3, 6-3 decision to eventual runner-up Sloan, while deLone was uspet in the second-round by Carrie Bentzel of Syracuse, 6-3, 6-7, 6-4.

In the second round against Bentzel, deLonerallied from a 5-1 deficit to win the set.

Farrell reached the round of 16 before fallingto Penn State's Ervin, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2. The juniorrecorded a big win over Temple's number-one playerKerry Lupin, 6-2, 6-2.

Mulvehal started off fast, capturing a 6-1, 6-1triumph over Penn's Rebecca Friedman. The seniorthen routed Yale's Elizabeth Baldwin, 6-4, 6-4.Mulvehal next dropped a tough 4-6, 6-4, 6-1decision to 16th seed Danielle Durak.

Stasiuk, the tourney's top seed, opened thetournament with a 6-4, 6-1 win over JamesMadision's Karen Johnson. The sophomore thenrecorded two straight set victories before gettingupset by Lapidus, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

In doubles, Dragomirescu and deLone defeatedSyracuse's Kathy Bradford and Carrie Beut in theirfirst-round match. The Crimson duo lost to UVA'sKelly Kolankiewicz and Lapidus in the round of 16.

Farrell and Mulvehal were alternates at first,but the duo got in when the fifth-seed fromPrinceton had to withdraw. The two made the mostof their opportunity, reaching the quarterfinalsbefore getting eliminated.

The Crimson duo defeated a team from Delaware,7-5, 6-2, and recorded a 6-7, (10-8) decision overKristy Wood and Pam Piorkowski of Boston College.In the quarterfinals, Mulvehal and Farrell droppeda straight set decision to teammates Bland andHenikoff, 6-3, 6-0.

Bland and Henikoff were upset in the semifinalsby Yale's Elizabeth Baldwin and Lynn Rosentretch.

"Everyone played well," Krass said. "I waspleased with all of them. We had a great fallseason. Now we will look forward to the springseason."

After the tournament, five of the players hadto take midterm exams yesterday, and a couple ofthem are taking midterms today.

Not even the best team in the east can rest