Clayton State's Jackeline Nieto Named NCAA Division II Tennis All-American
June 6, 2002
Morrow, Ga. - The Clayton College & State University women's tennis program has accomplished several "firsts" over the last two seasons, and had another one earlier this week as sophomore tennis player Jackeline Nieto became the first CCSU player ever to be named a NCAA Division II tennis All-American.Â
Selected by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, the governing body of college tennis, players had to be ranked among the top 20 individuals or the top 10 doubles teams in the nation to be named to the squad.Â
Nieto, the 15th-ranked player in the nation, was one of five Peach Belt Conference players named to the squad. Zsofia Golopencza, ranked the #1 singles player in the nation for Division II, was one of three Armstrong Atlantic State University players to be included on the list along with 11th-ranked Annamaria Forgacs and 16th-ranked Michaela Kratochvilova. Georgia College & State University’s Julia Roudkovskaya, the sixth-ranked player, was also named to the squad.Â
Nieto (Caracas, Venezuela), who was named the nation's 2002 ITA Player to Watch and to the 2002 Peach Belt All-Conference team finished with a 13-8 record and had several impressive victories in 2002. She defeated the fifth-ranked singles player in Lynn University's Monika Mastalirova 6-2 and 6-3, and the 14th-ranked player in Rollins College's Vanessa Caddick.Â
Clayton State's sixth All-American in its 12-year history, Nieto is the second CCSU female athlete to receive All-American honors in the last two weeks. Senior Joni Guffey, Frankfort, KY, was named a Division II Track & Field All-American in 1500m after placing sixth in the event at the Division II National Championships. Nieto joins Guffey and men's soccer player Josh Grenier, who was named an All-American in 2000, as the school's only first-team All-Americans. Men's golfers Adam Short and Dave Kelly received second-team and third-team honors in 1999, while men's basketball player Robert Conley received third team honors in 1998-99.Â
As a team, Clayton State's women's tennis squad finished the season ranked tenth in the final ITA poll and received its first-ever bid to the round of 16 in the NCAA Championships in 2002. The squad advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals out of the Mid-Atlantic Regional after winning matches against Lees-McRae and North Florida. The Lakers' season came to an end at nationals falling to Abilene Christian. CCSU posted a 16-8 overall record and was the 2002 runner-up in the Peach Belt Conference with a 9-1 mark.Â
Clayton State's appearance in the 16-team national championship event capped a two-year run by the Lakers, which includes a 33-11 dual match record, the 2001 Peach Belt Conference Championship and a runner-up finish for the 2002 PBC title.
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