May 25, 2004

FORT WORTH, Texas

Senior Alex Menichini from the 16th-ranked TCU men's tennis team will face Mark Van Elden from Oklahoma State in the first round of the NCAA Singles Championship May 26. The match is slated for a 10:30 a.m. CDT start at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center in Tulsa, Okla. Menichini holds a No. 48 national ranking, while Van Elden is 24th. The winner will face either No. 8-rated Sam Warburg of Stanford or No. 42 Stephen Mitchell from Alabama in the second round of the 64-player event.

"Van Elden is a very talented player," said TCU Head Coach Joey Rivé. "At this stage, anybody has a chance to win. If Alex gets off to a good start he'll be in good shape."

Menichini brings a 14-15 record into the tournament and went 7-12 in dual matches this season. He is the first Horned Frog since All-American Trace Fielding in 2001 to compete in either of the individual championships. Should Menichini win two matches, he will garner All-America praise and become only the 20th Frog to hold such distinction. Of those 20, only 10 have received the recognition in singles. Esteban Carril was the last in 2001 when he earned the accolade for the third time in as many years.

Live scoring of the match can be found by visiting the official Web site of Tulsa athletics, www.tulsahurricane.com.