May 4, 2011
INDIANAPOLIS (SMU) --- SMU tennis athletes Artem Baradach and Marta Lesniak have been selected for singles play in the NCAA Tennis Championships, the NCAA Division I Tennis Committees announced Wednesday. The singles championships are May 25-30 at the Taube Tennis Center in Stanford, Calif. Lesniak, ranked No. 9, was Conference USA's automatic selection for the women and will be seeded between 9-16. Baradach, ranked No. 54, received an at-large bid in the men's championship.
Lesniak is making her third straight NCAA Championship. Lesniak is 41-5 this season, is 17-4 against ranked opponents and has a 19-match winning streak. She was selected the C-USA Player of the Year for the second straight year. Lesniak was also named Outstanding Singles Player of the C-USA Championship. She and Aleksandra Malyarchikova were selected the Outstanding Doubles Team for the C-USA Championship.
Baradach went 11-5 in singles play during the spring including a 10-5 mark in the No. 1 spot. He posted several impressive wins including three against ranked opponents. This is Baradach's second appearance in the NCAA Championship. All-Conference USA selections and specialty awards will be announced on Thursday.
The No. 32 SMU women's tennis will play at No. 31 Texas A&M in the first round of the NCAA Championship on May 14 at 12 p.m. in College Station, Texas. The team earned its SMU-record third straight NCAA Championship selection under fifth-year head coach Lauren Longbotham Meisner. The Mustangs (21-5) have advanced to the second round each of the past two years. This is the program's 11th NCAA tournament appearance.
