Women's tennis heads to ITA Regional Championships
10/13/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
This Week: Air Force travels to the 2014 ITA Women's Mountain Regional Championships Oct. 15-19 in Albuquerque, N.M. The event takes place at the McKinnon Family Tennis Complex and the Linda Estes Tennis Complex at the University of New Mexico.
Competing, along with Air Force, is Idaho State, Northern Colorado, Boise State, BYU, Colorado State, Colorado, Montana State, Montana, Nevada, UNLV, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Northern Arizona, Denver, Idaho, Utah, Utah State, Weber State and Wyoming.
Looking at the Falcons: Air Force is sending eight singles players and four doubles teams to the championships. Playing singles is Tiffany Tran, Marcelli Magday, Natasha Rizvi, Lily Forlini, Chloe Forlini, Carley Hatcliff, Jocelle Rudico and Sierra Stapper. The Doubles teams are Tran/Magdan, Rizvi/Lily Forlini, Chloe Forlini/Hatcliff and Stapper/Rudico. Hatcliff has the top singles record on the team with a 7-3 mark. Rudico is 4-2 while Chloe Forlini is 5-1.
Head Coach Kim Gidley: Kim Gidley enters her 17th season as head coach of the women's tennis team at the Air Force Academy in 2014-15. The first civilian head coach in the 37-year history of the program, Gidley became the winningest coach in the history of the program in 2003 with her 76th victory. She recorded her 100th career victory during the 2005-06 season against South Dakota State and her 200th against Seattle University last season. She enters the `14-15 campaign with a 212-215 career record.
Gidley led the Falcons to a 17-9 record last season, the first time since moving to Division I in 1996 that the team has had five straight winning seasons. Gidley belongs to several professional tennis organizations, including the United States Professional Tennis Association. She has been honored twice by the USPTA as the Intermountain College Coach of the Year, most recently in March 2008. Among her other awards, she received the USTA/ITA National Community Outreach Award for 2009 as well as USAFA's Instructor of the Semester for lifetime sports.
Next: Air Force takes a week off of competition before returning for the North Texas Invitational in Denton, Texas, Oct. 31 to Nov. 2.
