Oct. 26, 2003
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Notre Dame senior Alicia Salas (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek H.S.) and freshman Christian Thompson (Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman H.S.) each won matches Sunday in the West Hills Athletic Club to advance to the quarterfinals of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Midwest Championships. No other Irish competitors remain in action in the indoor championships of the Midwest Region.
Salas, ranked 63rd and the second seed in the singles draw, defeated #79 Shana McElroy of Wisconsin, one of the 9-16 seeds, 6-3, 6-2 in round-of-16 play. She will take on Michigan’s Elizabeth Exon on Monday at 10:30 a.m. (EST). A win would send her to the semifinals, also to be played Monday, against either fourth-seeded #42 Jessica Rush of Northwestern or Dora Vastag of Indiana, another of the 9-16 seeds.
Salas is 10-3 this fall, with all of her losses at the hands of top-30 players and seven of her victories coming against ranked opponents. She had just seven wins against ranked foes in her first three seasons.
Thompson topped Cynthia Goulet of Illinois 6-3, 6-4 in the round of 16. She will face the tournament’s top seed, #4 Cristelle Grier of Northwestern, on Monday in quarterfinal action. The winner of that match will face either Linda Tran of Indiana or the third seed, #44 Jennifer McGaffigan of Illinois.
Thompson is 7-3 in her first collegiate fall.
Two Irish doubles teams also were in action on Sunday, with both falling in the quarterfinals. Salas and sophomore Lauren Connelly (Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinness H.S.), ranked 36th and one of the 5-8 seeds, lost 8-6 to the second seeds, #28 Karie Schlukebir and Linda Tran of Indiana. Thompson and her twin sister Catrina Thompson (Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman H.S.), one of the 9-16 seeds, lost 8-3 to the third-seeded and 31st-ranked pair of Goulet and Jennifer McGaffigan.
ITA Midwest Championships
Singles – Round of 16
Christian Thompson (ND) d. Cynthia Goulet (Illinois) 6-3, 6-4
[2] #63 Alicia Salas (ND) d. [9-16] #79 Shana McElroy (Wisconsin) 6-3, 6-2
Doubles – Quarterfinals
[3] #31 Goulet/McGaffigan (Illinois) d. [9-16] Catrina Thompson/Christian Thompson (ND) 8-3
[2] #28 Karie Schlukebir/Linda Tran (Indiana) d. [5-8] #36 Lauren Connelly/Alicia Salas (ND) 8-6