Northwestern University Athletics
Murphy's Mark: Spring Successes and NFL Signings
5/4/2004 12:00:00 AM | General
May 4, 2004
Big Ten Champions
Our women's tennis team won a remarkable sixth consecutive Big Ten championship this weekend. It was the first time they have won a championship at home in front of their loyal fans -- which made the championship particularly sweet. Since the weather last weekend was cold, rainy and windy (there's a surprise!), almost all of the matches were held inside at the Combe Tennis Center. The Combe Tennis Center is a tremendous venue for spectators -- fans can watch and follow all six matches simultaneously. And the fans were treated to some spectacular tennis. Our semifinal win over Michigan on Saturday was very exciting and hard-fought. Jamie Peisel, our No. 4 singles player, showed great courage in fighting through dehydration and muscle cramps for a come-from-behind 3-set victory to clinch the win. On Sunday, a standing room only crowd saw the team beat Ohio State 4-0.
With the victory over Ohio State, the women's tennis team earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Given our national ranking and the fact that we have hosted three consecutive NCAA regionals, it is likely that we will host an NCAA regional the weekend of May 14-15. Please check our web site for specific information. I encourage you to come to the NCAA event. It will be exciting to see our team test themselves against the best teams in the country. You will also have a chance to watch Cristelle Grier, currently ranked as the third best player in the NCAA, and probably the best player in Northwestern history.
NCAA Competition
Our spring teams are enjoying tremendous success this year. Many of our teams should qualify for NCAA postseason play. Two teams already have qualified for NCAA play -- women's tennis and women's golf. Women's golf will play in the NCAA regional at Illinois State this weekend. Women's lacrosse should also participate in NCAA competition. We are presently ranked sixth in the nation (the NCAA invites 16 teams to the Division I women's lacrosse championship). If we beat Vanderbilt at home on Thursday, we will win the American Lacrosse Championship, and earn the league's first automatic bid. There's a good chance that we will host an NCAA first-round game the weekend of May 14-15. It would be great to host two NCAA events the same weekend.
In addition to these teams, it is likely that our softball and men's golf teams will qualify for NCAA play. The softball team is enjoying a strong season in the Big Ten, and recently beat Michigan, ranked sixth in the country. The men's golf team has been in the NCAA tournament for the past seven years and boasts victories over numerous ranked teams. In addition, we are hopeful that the men's tennis team will earn an NCAA bid.
NFL Signings
Although we didn't have a player drafted for the first time since 1996, both Jason Wright and Louis Ayeni signed free agent contracts immediately following the draft and should have good chances to make NFL teams. From personal experience, I know that these players are better off signing as free agents rather than being selected in the last few rounds of the draft. They were both able to sign with teams that had significant interest in them and a need at their position. Jason signed with the 49ers. The 49ers didn't draft a running back and, given Jason's pass catching abilities, he should fit in well in their West Coast offense. Louis was as talented a safety there was in the draft this year. He would have been a high draft choice if not for the many injuries he suffered during his career. He signed with the Colts and defensive-minded head coach Tony Dungy. If he can stay healthy, the Colts may have found a gem in Louis.
