MORROW, Ga. – On August 18, 1997, Clayton State Athletics completed a significant transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division II. The 2017-18 season marked the 20^th anniversary of that accomplishment. Over a seven week span, the Sports Information Office is releasing the top 20 moments in the NCAA era, one on each Monday, Wednesday and Friday with select exceptions.
  We begin the countdown today with the No. 20 moment, Women's Tennis Makes NCAA Tournament in 1999. The Lakers earned that berth in only their fourth year of existence and just their second as a member of the NCAA.
 
They would end up facing No. 6 Rollins before defaulting in their first round match as the Tars were unwilling to agree on a time to resume a rain delayed match the following day. The decision to default the match was made unanimously by the team for the best of reasons, to allow senior Chrissy Agricola to return to campus and walk in her graduation ceremony.
 
Below are the original releases for the selection to the tournament, published on April 28, 1999, and the preview from May 6, 1999.
  MORROW, GA - The Clayton College & State University women's tennis team will play No. 6
Rollins College in first-round action of the NCAA Division II South Regional Championship on May 7 in
Winter Park, Fla. according to a release by the NCAA. The Lady Lakers, ranked 30^th in the latest ITA national rankings, will be making their first-ever regional appearance in just their second year as a full-time member of the NCAA.
 
Clayton State and Rollins are joined by No. 7 Barry University and No. 25 USC Aiken in the four-team
regional, one of three brackets in the South. The winners of the CCSU-RC and BU-USCA matches will meet May 9 for a berth in the nationals.
 
Ten regionals will be conducted May 7-9, with the winner of each regional advancing to the 16-team
national finals in Pensacola, Fla. May 13-16. No. I BYU-Hawaii, No. 2 Armstrong Atlantic State, No. 3 Lynn, No. 9 Abilene Christian, No. 23 Presbyterian and No. 24 Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania all received automatic bids to the nationals by virtue of being one of the top two teams in their respective regions.
 
The selection of teams for the tournament was based on won-lost record, strength of schedule and
eligibility and availability of student-athletes.
 
Clayton State will play Abraham Baldwin at 10:30 a.m. Sunday for a final tune-up before heading to
Florida.
  MORROW, GA - In just its second year as a full-time member of the NCAA, the Clayton College & State University women's tennis team will travel to Winter Park, Fla. for this weekend's Division II South Regional Championship. The Lady Lakers, ranked 30^th  in the latest ITA national rankings, will play sixth-ranked and tournament host Rollins College at 5 p.m. in first-round action Friday at the Martin Tennis Complex.
 
"I am really excited for the opportunity to play in the regional tournament," said Clayton State head coach Jolyn Smith, who also guided the Lady Lakers to the 1997 NAIA National Tournament in the program's second year of existence. The ladies have played hard all season long and deserve this chance to play with the best."
 
Clayton State and Rollins are joined by No. 7 Barry University and No. 25 USC Aiken in the four-team regional, one of three brackets in the South. The winners of the CCSU-RC and BU-USCA matches will meet Saturday for a berth in the national tournament, which will be played at the University of West Florida in Pensacola.
 
The key for the Lady Lakers may be the play of their three doubles teams. The No. 1 team of sophomore Leah Brownell and junior Ewa Kochanska has compiled a school-record 14 wins this year, including six in its last seven matches. At No. 2, sophomore Tatiana Semenova and senior Chrissy Agricola, who teamed up to place third at the Peach Belt Athletic Conference Tournament two weeks ago, are 13-7 on the year and have won eight of their last nine matches.
 
Also winning eight of its last nine matches is the No. 3 team of senior Yoshiko Okada and junior Toko Masiane, who, unlike the other two teams, have played together all season.
 
In singles action, Masiane (No. 6) and Okada (No. 5) have each won a school-record 21 matches this year, with Masiane having won five of her previous six. At No. 4, Agricola, who is graduating Saturday morning, will be looking to add to her school-record 45 career singles wins, while Semenova (No. 1), Brownell (No. 2) and Kochanska (No. 3) will all be aiming to put an exclamation point on their already successful season.
 
In all, 10 regionals will be conducted this weekend, with the winner of each regional advancing to the 16-team national finals May 13-16. No. l BYU-Hawaii, No. 2 Armstrong Atlantic State, No. 3 Lynn, No. 9 Abilene Christian, No. 23 Presbyterian and No. 24 Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania all received automatic bids to the nationals by virtue of being one of the top two teams in their respective regions.
 
Schedule of NCAA 20^th Anniversary Countdown Releases
No. 1 (July 11)
No. 2 (July 9)
No. 3 (July 5)
No. 4 (July 2)
No. 5 (June 29)
No. 6 (June 27)
No. 7 (June 25)
No. 8 (June 22)
No. 9 (June 20)
No. 10 (June 18)
No. 11 (June 15)
No. 12 (June 13)
No. 13 (June 11)
No. 14 (June 8)
No. 15 (June 6)
No. 16 (June 4)
No. 17 (June 1)
No. 18 (May 30)
No. 19 (May 28)
No. 20 Women's Tennis Makes NCAA Tournament in 1999 (May 25)