College Sports

Beth Launius and Michelle Hagler of the University of Texas at Tyler defeated the Hendrix College duo of Claire Mesnil and Kwynn Biggs 6-0, 7-5, to claim the Wilson/ITA Southwest Regional Doubles Championship on Sunday at the Summers Tennis Center.

With the win, the Patriot pair advances to the ITA Small College Nationals in Mobile, Ala., on Oct. 15-19.

Launius and Hagler won the first nine games of the match to sweep the first set and claim a 3-0 lead in the second. Mesnil and Biggs fought back to tie the second set at 3-3, but it was too little too late for the two Warriors as the Tyler twosome put them away 7-5.

Although Mesnil lost in the finals of the doubles competition, the freshman from Avignon, France, still earned a spot in the nationals by winning the 58-player singles bracket in impressive fashion.

As the No. 4 seed, Mesnil defeated third-seeded Katie Griffith of Trinity 6-1, 6-2, in the final to book her trip to Mobile. In five matches, Mesnil gave up more than two games in a set just once - to Hagler in the quarterfinals.

Mesnil topped the No. 1 seed Katy Poettcker 6-2, 6-0, in her semifinal. Griffith defeated Launius, the second seed, 6-0, 6-1, in the other semifinal.

In the doubles bracket, Launius and Hagler defeated a fellow Tyler team of Lauren Giovannini and Brittany Ude by a score of 9-7 in the semifinals Saturday to advance to the final.

The Launius-Hagler duo was the No. 2 seed and topped the No. 7 seed Mesnil-Biggs pair in the final of the 27-pair bracket. Mesnil and Biggs knocked off top-seeded Erin Jamison and Poettcker in the quarterfinals.

Launius and Hagler will face Elise Otto and Katie Oost of Whitman College in Mobile. Mesnil will also face Otto in her first match.

In the "B" singles bracket, Melissa Ponder of Trinity proved worthy of her No. 1 seed by defeating Rachel Smith of McMurry 6-3, 6-1, in the final.

Lali Satyavada and Allison Noblitt of Southwestern topped another Patriot pair of Morgan Wilkins and Blair Wilson by a score of 8-6 to win the "B" doubles tournament.

DIVISION III CHAMPS: The UT Tyler women's doubles team of Beth Launius (left) and Michelle Hagler won the Wilson/ITA Southwest Region crown.
(Courtesy photo)