Lake Forest College Sports Information
February 23, 2003
Contact: Mike Wajerski, SID

Foresters Repeat as Women's, Combined USHA Collegiate Champs
Megan Mehilos claims open singles and doubles titles for this straight year
  

Megan Mehilos has won both the singles and doubles titles for three straight years.
PORTLAND, OR - The Forester handball program proved once again that it is the best in the country by claiming its 22nd and 23rd USHA National Collegiate titles over the weekend (February 19-23). Lake Forest finished first on the women's side (1,100 points), third on the men's (962), and first in the combined standings (2,062) for the fourth straight year. Texas A&M won the men's competition with 1,003 points and placed second in the combined standings with 1,947.

The Foresters were led by junior Megan Mehilos (Addison, IL), who won both the Open Singles and Open Doubles Championships for the third consecutive year. She defeated Lynn Alesi of Texas A&M University 21-9, 12-21, 11-10 in a thrilling singles final. Mehilos trailed 10-9 in the third set before scoring the last two points to claim the title. In the doubles final, Mehilos and senior Amy Sove (Modesto, CA) teamed up to defeat Alesi and Christina Matthews 21-9, 21-7.

Junior Samantha England (Prince George, British Columbia) also earned All-America honors by advancing to the Open Singles semifinals, where she was eliminated by Alesi. England also advanced to the semifinals in 2001 but missed the 2001-02 season with a knee injury. England also advanced to the semifinals in doubles with senior Megan Gibson (Brown Deer, WI) as her partner.

Gibson and junior Sarah Roberts (Plainfield, IL) each advanced to the singles quarterfinals where Gibson was matched up against Mehilos and Roberts was knocked off by Alesi.

On the men's side, junior David Munson (Williston, VT) was the Foresters' top player, advancing to the quarterfinals of singles play and, along with freshman Ivan Ruiz (Los Angeles, CA), falling in the doubles final. Munson and Ruiz earned All-America honors with their doubles performance.

Ruiz and sophomore Alex Martinez (Andover, CT) each advanced to the round of 32 in the Open Singles Division.

Junior Garrett Silveira (S. Hadley, MA) and freshman Tyler Stevens (Toledo, OH) won the B-Doubles Division championship.

Lake Forest has now won 11 men's, three women's, and nine combined championships since the inception of the program in 1969. Mike Dau '58 has been the team's only head coach.

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