Women's tennis ends season against Harvard

UA women's tennis players' chances of capturing a NCAA title fell short in the second round of the 64-school tournament this weekend when Harvard upset the No. 16 ranked Wildcats.

Arizona's season came to a close, spurred on by a slow start that saw the Wildcats fall behind early in Saturday's matchup. Failure to rebound after being swept in the doubles point proved to be the difference as the Crimson upended the Wildcats by a score of 4-3.

The Wildcats had advanced to the second round after posting a win the previous afternoon over the Purple Eagles of Niagara University, 4-0.

The loss to the Crimson ends the Wildcats team season. Arizona will send three singles players and one doubles pair ÷ No. 5 Emilie Scribot, No. 29 Maja Mlakar and No. 45 Dianne Hollands ÷ to the individual's NCAA Women's Division I Tennis Tournament.

Boise State closes out No. 34-ranked men's tennis

The season came to a close for the UA's men's tennis this weekend as the Wildcats lost in their opening round match to No. 35 Boise State.

Arizona ranked No. 34 in the nation, managed just one win over the Broncos dropping their match 4-1.

Roger Matalonga earned the lone victory for the Wildcats on Friday in a 6-0, 6-2 win over Nils Klemann. Matalonga was also a part of the only Wildcat doubles pair to claim a victory when the freshman teamed up with sophomore Colin O'Grady to post a victory over Klemann and Thomas Schoeck.

The loss to the Broncos ended the Wildcats year at 9-11.

Track and field begins championship competition

Arizona track and field sent two athletes to Southern California this weekend to open up competition at the Pac-10 Conference Championships.

Representing the UA in the heptathlon and decathlon was Amanda Underwood and Jake Arnold. Underwood and Arnold each scored two points for the Wildcats who will send the remainder of the men and women's squads to USC next weekend to complete the 10-team conference championships.

Underwood, a Tucson native, registered a total of 4,431 points good enough for seventh place. Arnold claimed a seventh place finish as well logging 6,835 points. Arnold's weekend was highlighted by a leap of 15 feet 3-inches in the pole-vault.

The Pac-10 Conference Championships will resume this Saturday and Sunday at Cromwell Field at Loker Stadium on the campus of USC in Los Angeles.

Women's golf qualifies for national championship

The UA women's golf team carded a one-under-par 283 total Saturday to finish in fifth place at the 2003 NCAA Women's Golf East Regional.

Arizona collected its eighth consecutive top-five finish at the NCAA Regional by posting a three-round total of 874 (+22).

Two Wildcats finished in the top 20, led by freshman sensation Erica Blasberg. The nation's top ranked golfer carded a three-under 68 Saturday to tie for eighth.

Fellow freshman Cassandra Kirkland earned her third top-20 finish of 2002-03 by finishing in a tie for 18th place.

The fifth place finish means Arizona will advance to the 2003 NCAA Women's Golf Championships, May 20-23 at Kampen Golf Course in West Lafayette, Ind. It is Arizona's eighth consecutive appearance at the NCAA Championships and 15th in the last 16 seasons.

The Wildcats finished 17 strokes behind tournament-winner Duke, who posted a three-round 857 (+5).

Men's golfer Barnes shares national title

Maybe it was the performance at the Masters, or winning the U.S. Amateur title, but whatever it was it was enough for Ricky Barnes to be named co-winner of the 2003 Ben Hogan Award in voting released Friday.

The award is given annually to the nation's top NCAA Division I, II, III, or NAIA golfer.

Barnes shares the distinction of the nation's best amateur golfer with Oklahoma State's Hunter Mahan.

"I am honored to receive the Hogan Award," said Barnes. "It means a lot to be named the top amateur player in college golf, but more importantly, to be associated with someone like Ben Hogan makes it more special. He meant so much to amateur golf."

Barnes will try and help collect a team award as the Wildcats tee off in the 2003 NCAA West Regional tomorrow in Federal Way, Wash.

The third seeded Wildcats are one of 27 teams in the bracket vying for a spot at a national championship invite. The tournament starts tomorrow and runs through Saturday.