Elmhurst, Ill. (Jan. 12, 2006) ???C Coming off a solid fall season, Oakland???s women???s tennis team has been picked to finish sixth in the Mid-Con this season in the preseason poll of the league???s head coaches the conference released today. The Golden Grizzlies received 30 points for sixth, just one point behind Western Illinois for fifth. Defending champion Valparaiso was picked to defend its title, getting seven of the nine first-place votes and 63 points overall. Head coach Heather Redshaw and her squad has high hopes for the team???s best-ever showing in the Mid-Con race after a fall season that saw the Golden Grizzlies win four of five dual matches, the best start for the team in the history of the program. Junior Angie Trecola (Troy, Mich.) picked up a Mid-Con Player of the Week award as she went 5-0 in singles play to lead OU in the fall. She also teamed with Lauren Sanchez-Murphy (Rochester Hills, Mich.) to tie for the team???s best doubles mark at 3-1. Junior Jessica Erickson (Port Huron, Mich.) also had a fine fall season with a 3-1 singles mark, with newcomers Michelle Maxfield (Commerce Township, Mich.) and Amanda Scheer (Sarnia, Ontario) also posting winning records in singles and doubles play. Oakland will open play in the spring season when it travels to Fort Wayne, Indiana over the weekend of Feb. 18-19 where it will meet SE Missouri State, Cleveland State and host IPFW. The Golden Grizzlies will play IPFW first, taking on the Mastodons at 9 am on Feb. 18.

2006 Mid-Con Women???s Tennis Preseason Poll      School         Pts.1. Valparaiso (7)      632. IUPUI (2)           573. Southern Utah       43   Oral Roberts        435. Western Illinois    316. Oakland             307. Chicago State       278. Centenary           219. UMKC                 9