FIVE TENNIS STUDENT-ATHLETES NAMED TO ACADEMIC TEAM

DALLAS - Five University of Colorado tennis student-athletes were named to the 2004 Men's and Women's Tennis Academic All-Big 12 first team, the conference office announced.

     Junior Evan Dixon was the lone men's player to make the first team, while Lauren Carey, Jenny Hanson, Susan Johnson, and Morgan Sall made the top team for the women.

     This is Dixon's first academic honor from the conference after sitting out the entire 2002-03 season after transferring from Point Loma University. Dixon is a marketing major from Eugene, Ore.

     In addition to Dixon making the first team, it's also the same for Hanson and Johnson. Hanson, a Boulder native is a sophomore majoring in psychology; and Johnson, also a sophomore is a business major from Arnold, Md.

     Carey, a senior from Belleville, Ill. majoring in psychology and kinesiology, is a two-time selection to the academic team having made the 2001-02 honor.

      Rounding out the first team is Sall, an economics major and business minor from Miami, Fla. This is the fourth consecutive conference academic honor since being named to the 2000-01, 2001-02, and 2002-03 teams.

      Nominated by each institution's director of student-athlete support services and the media relations offices, the tennis academic all-league squads consisted of 49 first-team members combined with 12 on the second-team. First-team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better grade-point average, while the second-team are those who have a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.

      To qualify student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of her/his team's scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are eligible.

      Many of these student-athletes will compete at the eighth annual Big 12 Conference Men and Women's Tennis tournaments, Thursday-Sunday at Oklahoma's new Headington Family Tennis Center. The regular-season winners are declared Big 12 men and women's tennis champions, while the tourney winner receives first consideration for the conference's automatic bids in the NCAA tournaments. The Baylor men and the Oklahoma State women are the defending champions.

      Complete results for the Big 12 Tennis Tournament will be available on the league's web site, www.big12sports.com.

FIRST TEAM (3.20-PLUS GRADE POINT AVERAGE)

Evan Dixon, Jr., Marketing, Eugene, Ore.

Lauren Carey, Sr., Psychology/Kinesiology, Belleville, Ill.

Jenny Hanson, So., Psychology,  Boulder, Colo.

Susan Johnson, So., Business, Arnold, Md.

Morgan Sall, Sr., Economics, Miami, Fla.