Northwestern sports? A solid B.
At least, that’s what The Sporting News thinks. The weekly sports publication ranked NU’s athletic department No. 22 in the nation in a recent survey of Division I institutions.
The Sporting News ranked schools based on a GPA scoring system. Based on four categories, NU earned a 3.0 on the scale.
The categories weighed the success of a school’s football and basketball programs, the graduation rate among football players and men’s basketball players, the amount of fan support, and the size of the athletic budget and the degree to which the school complies with rules, including gender equity.
The survey used data from the 1999-2000 season and is featured in the Feb. 26 issue of The Sporting News.
Men’s tennis team suffers
1st loss, rebounds at Ball State
After suffering its first loss of the season Saturday at Notre Dame, the No. 30 Northwestern men’s tennis team rallied Sunday with a 4-3 victory at Ball State.
NU (7-1) won four of six singles matches, getting a key victory from sophomore Jackie Jenkins at the No. 1 spot.
On Saturday, the No. 26 Fighting Irish took the doubles point and four of the singles matches to top the Wildcats 5-2.
In singles play, the Cats took the Irish to three sets in four of the six matches and forced six tiebreakers. In doubles action, Brad Erickson and Joost Hol defeated Notre Dame’s 14th-ranked pair of Aaron Talarico and Javier Taborga.
Women’s tennis team opens Big Ten slate with 2 sweeps
The No. 11 Northwestern women’s tennis team opened its Big Ten season with two sweeps on the road, defeating both Michigan State and Michigan 7-0.
Against the Wolverines on Sunday, only Marine Piriou (No. 4 singles) and Simona Petrutiu (No. 5) were extended beyond two sets. Piriou won in a third-set tiebreaker, and Petrutiu took her third set 6-4.
On Saturday in East Lansing, Mich., NU (9-2, 2-0 Big Ten) won all six singles matches in straight sets.
