May 12, 1997

No. 2 Stanford Eyes Third-Straight NCAA Championship

STANFORD, Calif. - The NCAA announced today that the two-time defending champion Stanford men's tennis team has been selected as the third seed in the 1997 NCAA Tennis Championships. The Cardinal (22-2) face Harvard (17-5) in a first-round match at noon on Saturday, May 17.

Stanford enters the NCAA tournament without having lost a match since their April 4 defeat at UCLA. Since that loss, the Cardinal have posted a string of impressive victories, including a win at home against the top-ranked Bruins.

This Stanford team rates among the nation's best, going into the championships. In a recent vote of the conference coaches, Stanford freshman Bob Bryan and sophomore Ryan Wolters were selected as the Pacific-10 Conference Southern Division Co-Players of the Year. And Cardinal junior Paul Goldstein is currently ranked No. 15 in the nation, after coming back from a fractured foot.

Stanford has a long history of success in the tournament. In the 1990s, Coach Dick Gould's teams have won four NCAA team titles, including back-to-back championships the past two years. Since 1972, Stanford has won 14 NCAA team titles, eight NCAA singles titles, and four NCAA doubles titles.

Individual championships will be held following the conclusion of team competition next week.

SCHEDULE/PROJECTED MATCHES FOR STANFORD:
Saturday, May 17    Stanford (22-2) vs. Harvard (17-5), 11 a.m.
Sunday,   May 18    Quarterfinals, Noon (Stanford/Harvard vs. Texas/Kentucky)
Monday,   May 19    Semifinals, 2 p.m.
Tuesday,  May 20    Final, 6 p.m.

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