Seasiders win tennis national championship
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The BYU-Hawaii women's tennis team claimed its first National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics title May 24, ending the 1996-97 season with a perfect 27-0 record.
While en route to Hawaii's first-ever national championship in women's tennis, the team members wrote themselves into the record books by setting a record for total points scored in a national tournament - 46.The national singles champion, Karin Ptaszek, and the national doubles champions, Anneli Ornstedt and Teresa Stromberg, are all Seasiders from BYU-Hawaii.
All six Seasiders were also members of the NAIA All-America first team in doubles and four of the six were also named All-America first team in singles.
"I think that the climate at BYU-Hawaii is a large reason that our teams have been so successful," said tennis coach David Porter. "By climate I don't mean just the weather. The prevailing [atmosphere] here is a balance of academics and athletics."
Along with winning tennis matches, success for coach Porter is a balance of academic learning in an environment that allows the principles of the Church to be practiced. By their words and by their actions, his players - none of whom is a member of the Church - agree.
Coach Porter has found great success at BYU-Hawaii. His record, 397-77, has earned him 13 consecutive conference Coach of the Year Awards dating back to 1984.
"Anytime people adhere to correct principles and find success, it is rewarding," said coach Porter, who also teaches a Book of Mormon class on campus. "Ultimately we hope that [those who are not members of the Church] will embrace the gospel as well as succeed in academics and the game of tennis."
