May 4, 2006
COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina freshman Gira Schofield received a bid to the NCAA Women’s Tennis Singles Championship on Thursday. The 64-person tournament begins Tuesday, May 23, at the Taube Tennis Center in Stanford, Calif. The draw will be determined one day prior to the start of competition.
Schofield is currently ranked No. 48 in the country and in addition to making the All-SEC Second Team was named the Southeastern Conference’s Co-Freshman of the Year. The Boca Raton, Fla., native went 25-10 overall and was 14-7 in dual matches playing exclusively at the No. 1 position.
“Gira’s had a great year, and this is a well deserved honor for her,” USC head coach Arlo Elkins said. “She was named SEC Freshman of the Year, All-SEC, and it’s quite an accomplishment for a freshman to receive a bid to NCAAs.”
Schofield is the 13th Gamecock to earn a spot in the NCAA Singles Championship. Laura Bernstein made the best showing of any USC player in 1983 when she reached the round of 16. If Schofield equals Bernstein’s performance, she will earn All-America recognition from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
SOUTH CAROLINA’S NCAA INDIVIDUAL HISTORY
South Carolina has placed either a singles competitor or doubles team in 18 of 24 NCAA Individual Tennis Championships. Laura Berstein remains the only Gamecock to advance to the round of 16 in singles, doing so in 1983 in Albuquerque, N.M. In doubles, Helen Crook and Victoria Davies are the only USC duo to go as far as the semifinals, which happened in 1994 in Athens, Ga.
1982 Salt Lake City, Utah
Laura Bernstein, singles
R64: lost Lynn Lewis, UCLA, 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-3
Dawn Otto and Ellen Oxrieder, doubles
R32: lost Heynen/Sessarego, Southern California, 6-0, 7-5
1983 Albuquerque, N.M.
Laura Bernstein, singles
R64: def. Randi Rosen, Northwestern, 6-4, 6-0
R32: def. Leslie Sheehan, Boston, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1
R16: lost (#8 seed) Heather Ludloff, UCLA, 6-2, 7-5
Ellen Oxreider, singles
R64: def. Kristeen McKeen, Texas, 6-4, 7-6(2)
R32: lost Maeve Quinlan, Northwestern, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4
1984 Los Angeles, Calif.
Johnna Chafin, singles
R64: lost Elisa Fernandez, Pepperdine, 6-1, 6-4
1987 Los Angeles, Calif.
Rita Winebarger, singles
R64: lost Kefi Binyamini, U.S. International, 6-2, 6-4
1988 Los Angeles, Calif.
Paulette Roux, singles
R64: def. Tamaka Takagi, Kentucky, 6-1, 6-2
R32: lost (#9-16 seed) Susanna Lee, BYU, 6-3, 7-5
Rita Winebarger, singles
R64: lost Michelle Taylor, BYU, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
1990 Gainesville, Fla.
Michelle Duda, singles
R64: lost (#9-16 seed) Susan Gilchrist, Texas, 6-2, 6-1
Nathalie Rodriguez, singles
R64: lost Holly Danforth, Florida, 6-1, 6-2
Michelle Duda and Nathalie Rodriguez, doubles
R32: lost Edelman/Reece, Indiana, 6-1, 6-2
1991 Stanford, Calif.
Michelle Duda, singles
R64: def. Lynn Rosenstrach, Yale, 6-4, 6-4
R32: lost (#9-16 seed) Susan Gilchrist, Texas, 6-0, 6-4
1992 Stanford, Calif.
Michelle Duda, singles
R64: lost Nora Koves, Kansas, 6-3, 7-6(3)
Nathalie Rodriguez, singles
R64: lost Jennifer Poulos, California, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4
1993 Gainesville, Fla.
Helen Crook, singles
R64: lost (#9-16 seed) Kori Davidson, Arizona State, 6-1, 6-3
1994 Athens, Ga.
Helen Crook, singles
R64: lost Mindy Weiner, Kansas, 6-3, 6-1
Heather Greene, singles
R64: lost Sandra De Silva, Stanford, 6-4, 6-1
Helen Crook and Victoria Davies, doubles
R32: def. Guenther/Milholland, William & Mary, 6-1, 5-7, 6-3
R16: def. (#5-8 seed) Davidson/Geiger, Arizona State, 6-2, 6-4
QF: def. (#4 seed) Alley/Nelson, California, 6-3, 6-3
SF: lost Bougnol/Piquemal, Mississippi, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5
1995 Malibu, Calif.
Heather Greene, singles
R64: def. Divya Merchant, Florida, 6-4, 6-4
R32: lost (#1 seed) Kelly Pace, Texas, 6-2, 6-4
1996 Tallahassee, Fla.
Heather Greene, singles
R64: lost (#8 seed) Melissa Zimpfer, Wisconsin, 5-7, 6-3, 6-1
Karolina Bulat and Heather Greene, doubles
R32: lost (#5-8 seed) Moros/Taylor, Texas, 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-3
1997 Stanford, Calif.
Karolina Bulat and Tobi Rakic, doubles
R32: lost (#1 seed) Buth/Nickitas, Florida, 6-2, 6-1
1999 Gainesville, Fla.
Katarina Markovski, singles
R64: lost (#2 seed) Vanessa Webb, Duke, 6-1, 7-5
Katarina Markovski and Celine Regnier, doubles
R32: lost (#5-8 seed) Dasso/Hall, Notre Dame, 6-1, 6-0
2000 Malibu, Calif.
Katarina Markovski, singles
R64: lost Chin Bee Khoo, Arkansas, 7-5, 6-1
2001 Stone Mountain, Ga.
Kathy Boyanovich and Jennifer Radman, doubles
R32: def. Castellvi/Ojeda, Tennessee, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
R16: lost (#1 seed) Barnikow/Kalvaria, Stanford, 6-3, 6-3
2002 Stanford, Calif.
Katarina Markovski, singles
R64: def. (#2 seed) Kelly McCain, Duke, 6-1, 5-7, 7-5
R32: lost Chloe Carlotti, Fresno State, 6-4, 6-4
Jennifer Radman, singles
R64: lost Adria Engel, Arizona State, 6-3, 6-2
Kathy Boyanovich and Jennifer Radman, doubles
R32: def. Cioroch/Grey, Georgia, 7-5, 6-3
R16: lost (#3 seed) Dawaf/Lehnhoff, Florida, 3-6, 6-0, 6-0
2004 Athens, Ga.
Danielle Wiggins, singles
R64: lost Katie McGaffigan, Wisconsin, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
