Nelson Earns All-Mid-Con Recognition

Freshman Named To Second Team

              CEDAR CITY, Utah, May 11 – Southern Utah University’s Emmi Nelson has earned a spot on the 2006 all-Mid-Continent Conference women’s tennis team.

              Nelson, a freshman from Grantsville, Utah, was voted to the second team by the league’s coaches after posting a 7-1 record in Mid-Con singles play. She joined the team in the spring and compiled an 8-1 overall record, playing primarily at fifth singles, including a win in the semi-finals of the Mid-Con tournament.

              “This is a nice honor for Emmi,” SUU Coach Lenny Lee said. “She was a late addition to the team but she really helped us. We were devastated by injuries this year, but we overcame them down the stretch and were able to get back to the conference tournament; Emmi was a big part of that.”

              IUPUI’s Mallory Stemle, a four-time first-team all-Mid-Con selection, was named the conference’s player of the year, while Chicago State’s Yosefin Rustandar was named freshman of the year and Tim Maluga, coach of league champion Valparaiso, garnered coach of the year honors.

              Joining Stemle and Rustandar on the All Mid-Con first team are Oral Roberts sophomore Emily Arkell, Valparaiso junior Kate Evangelist, Valparaiso junior Rachel Janssen and Oral Roberts freshman Diana Maria Salas. Janssen appears on the All-Conference list for the third time, including her second-straight appearance on the first team.

              The All Mid-Con second team consists of Nelson, Valparaiso junior Whitney Chada, Valparaiso senior Jill Dierberg, Centenary senior Heather Kelley, IUPUI junior Jessie Ritchie, Valparaiso freshman Kim Sajevic and IUPUI sophomore Allison Thompson.