Sooner Men Set For No. 61 New Mexico, Centenary

Feb. 6, 2003

NORMAN, Okla. - The Oklahoma men's tennis team continues its spring season this weekend as the Sooners take on No. 61 New Mexico on Friday, Feb. 7. Match time with the Lobos is set for 2 p.m. at the Oak Tree Country Club in Edmond (700 W. Country Club Dr.). UNM is 3-2 on the season and is currently ranked No. 61 in the Omni Hotels Collegiate Tennis Rankings.

The Sooners are back in action the next day (Feb. 8) against Centenary at the Santa Fe Country Club in Oklahoma City (6300 N. Santa Fe). That match against the 0-3 Gents is scheduled to start at 11a.m.

Oklahoma goes 3-0, Gets PAST OBU and Drake

Oklahoma went 3-0 last week with two wins over Oklahoma Baptist (7-0, 6-0) and a regional victory over Drake (5-2). It was OU's first victory over the Bulldogs since 1991 and moved the Sooners to 1-0 in regional play.

Leading The Sooners

Freshman Alexei Ivanov (Izhevsk, Russia) made his debut as a Sooner against OBU going 2-0 at the No. 1 position. Ivanov pushed Drake's Anthony Perkins to three sets before falling 6-3, 2-6, 6-2. Perkins is ranked 19th in singles in the central region.

Freshman Tommy Garrison (Enid, Okla.) and sophomore Alex Nomicos (Targoviste, Romania) each went 3-0 in singles play while senior Chris Mitchell (Tulsa, Okla.) won his first match of the spring against Drake's Felipe Montenegro. Montenegro is currently 29th in singles in the central region while Mitchell is ranked 23rd.

Against the Bulldogs, Garrison and Mitchell pushed their overall record in doubles to 8-2 on the season after an 8-6 victory against Perkins and Kirk Schuler. Perkins and Schuler are ranked fourth in doubles in the central region while Garrison and Mitchell are sixth.

Southwest Missouri State Match Changed

OU's match against Southwest Missouri State in Springfield, Mo., has been moved from Feb. 15 to Feb. 14. Match time has also been changed from 2 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Head Coach Paul Lockwood

In his 16th year as the head men's tennis coach, Paul Lockwood is 3-0 on the season. Lockwood has experienced success with his teams over the years both on and off the court. He has compiled a 222-144 (.606) overall record and claimed the Big Eight Conference title in 1992. Lockwood was named the Big Eight Coach of the Year in 1991 and 1992 for his outstanding efforts. Lockwood's teams also earned five consecutive Academic ITA All-America honors from the 1996-97 season to the 2000-2001 season.

OU Headington Family Tennis Center

After more than three seasons without a home court, the men's tennis team is playing its second season at the OU Headington Family Tennis Center, completed in October of 2001. The first match played in the new tennis center was on March 27 against Wichita State. The Sooners officially dedicated their new facility on April 13, prior to OU's match with Colorado. The Headington Family Tennis Center is comprised of 12 NCAA Championship courts, NCAA Championship lighting and permanent seating for 800 spectators.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Sooner Men Set For No. 61 New Mexico, Centenary

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