Tennis Places Four On All-Big 12 Academic Team

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DALLAS - Four University of Colorado student-athletes were among 65 student-athletes named to the Big 12 Conference 2006 Academic Tennis teams, the league office announced Tuesday.

A trio of CU student-athletes earned spots to the first team with one making the second team.

Earning conference first team accolades were senior Jenny Hanson, junior Jan Zelezny, and sophomore Gleisy Torres Torres. Senior Marko Bundalo earned second team honors.

Hanson earned her third straight first team conference honor, while Bundalo, Torres Torres and Zelezny were named to the team for the first time.

The Iowa State women and Oklahoma men placed the most student-athletes on the squads with six each.

Nominated by each institution's director of student-athlete support services and the media relations offices, the men's academic all-league tennis squad consisted of 12 first team members combined with 10 on the second team, while the women had 38 first team recipients and five student-athletes on the second team. First team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA, and 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 his/her 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 also eligible.

The Big 12 Tennis Championships are scheduled for Thursday-Sunday at the Baylor Tennis Center in Waco, Texas. The Bears hosted the event in 2001 as well. Baylor (2002-05), Texas (1997, 1999) and Texas A&M (1998, 2000-01) have combined to win all nine of the previous men's league postseason championships. The women's field features prior winners Texas (1997-2002, ?05), Oklahoma State (2003), and Texas A&M (2004).

The Colorado men (18-7, 5-2 Big 12) nationally ranked at No. 25 are seeded No. 3, their highest seed since the 1997 season will play No. 6 Texas Tech, Friday at 10 a.m.

The CU women (10-9, 4-7) begin play as the No. 9 seed this Thursday with a first round match up against No. 8 seed Kansas at 5 p.m.

Live updates of all matches can be found on Baylor's official athletic website, www.BaylorBears.com. Hit the 2006 Big 12 Championships link in the top right corner of the front page.

2006 Academic All-Big 12 Men's/women's tennis Team

First Team (3.20-plus GPA)

Jennifer Hanson, Sr., Psychology/Business, Boulder, Colo.

Gleisy Torres Torres, So., Journalism, Barquisimeto, Venezuela

Jan Zelezny, Jr., Finance, Prague, Czech Republic

Second Team (3.00 to 3.19 GPA)

Marko Bundalo, Sr., Electrical Engineering, Pancevo, Serbia and Montenegro