Men’s Tennis
After a close win against UC Irvine last week, the Utah men’s tennis team heads to Albuquerque, N.M., to face New Mexico, San Diego State and Air Force.
The meet will be the first Mountain West Conference competition for the Utes (8-6) as they look to gain an edge by the time the postseason rolls around.
Last year, the Utes lost to New Mexico and San Diego State in close meets, but dominated Air Force. This year, the Utes will attempt to snag a couple more wins out of the series.
Zach Ganger and Miron Mann have proven to be the top players for the Utes this year, and their performances in the singles and doubles matches will be the key to a Ute victory.
The first match will start later today against New Mexico, and the games against San Diego State and Air Force will take place on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
James Boehly
Women’s Tennis
The Utah women’s tennis team will hit the road this weekend to face Air Force, Colorado State and Wyoming.
After a close win against San Diego State and a loss to UNLV, the Utes are looking to get back on track and improve on their 1-1 Mountain West Conference record.
The loss to the Rebels hurt the Utes in the national standings as they dropped two points.
Last year, the Utes swept the series against the Falcons, Rams and Cowgirls, so anything short of three wins will likely be disappointing for the team.
Elizabeth Ferris is nationally ranked in the singles category and will have to play well for the Utes to have a repeat performance.
The first match for the Utes will start later today against Air Force, and the team will face Colorado State on April 5. Rounding out the weekend will be Wyoming on Sunday. All games will be played at the opposing team’s school.
James Boehly
Track and Field
The Utah track and field team will begin its outdoor season today with the BYU Cougar Invitational and the Stanford Invitational.
“Our women are anxious for the outdoor season to get underway,” Utah head coach Kyle Kepler said. “We’ve had some good practices in recent weeks, so it will be good to get back on the track and find out where we are and what we need to work on.”
Most of the team will compete at the BYU Cougar Invitational, but the distance runners are heading to Palo Alto, Calif., to participate in the Stanford Invitational.
Chelsea Shapard will be the player to watch as she is the defending Mountain West Conference champion in the 400-meter hurdles. Chelsea DiGrazia is also expected to impress, ranking in the Top-10 in the Utah record books in the 1,500 meters.
The BYU Cougar Invitational will be held later today, and the Stanford Invitational will be held today and Saturday.
James Boehly
Lacrosse
The Utah lacrosse team (5-6) will head to Logan on Saturday to face rival Utah State (2-3).
Utah State’s two wins this season came against mediocre opponents in Wyoming (1-4) and New Mexico (1-5).
The Utes have beaten the Aggies quite handily the last few times the two teams have met. In 2007Utah beat Utah State 27-5. In 2006 it was a 19-6 win for the U. In 2005 the Utes won by 16 goals, 26-10. The closest the Aggies have come to beating Utah was in 2002, when they lost 8-4.
Senior Brian Miller, who is averaging five points per game, leads Utah State team. Miller has 21 goals on the season, so it’s imperative for the Utes to stop him. On the other side, Utah will be led by junior attackman Matt Qualey, who is averaging 3.73 points per game with 20 goals and 21 assists on the season.
Tim Haslam