DATE: April 19, 2000

FLUSHING, NY – The University of Delaware men’s and women’s tennis teams will take to the courts of the United States Tennis Center, site of the annual U.S. Open, this weekend to take part in the America East Championships.

 The tournament will begin Thursday with first round matches for both men and women and continue through Sunday. Each champion will earn an automatic berth into the upcoming NCAA Division I Championships. Delaware has never qualified for NCAA play for either men or women.

Delaware head coach Laura Travis will lead the No. 2 seed Blue Hen women (11-4 ) into action vs. No. 7 seed Towson Thursday at 6 p.m. while the No. 4 seed Blue Hen men (11-11) will take on No. 5 seed Vermont at 12 noon.

Other first round matchups in the women’s bracket include No. 1 Boston University vs. No. 8 Drexel, No. 4 Hofstra vs. No. 5 Vermont, and No. 3 New Hampshire vs. No. 6 Hartford. Should Delaware win its first match, it would advance to Friday’s semifinals vs. the Hartford-New Hampshire winner.

On the men’s side, No. 1 Hofstra will take on No. 8 Drexel, No. 2 Towson will play No. 7 New Hampshire, and No. 3 Hartford will take on No. 6 Boston University. If the Delaware men win their first match, they will take on the Hofstra-Drexel winner in the semifinals Friday.

Boston University has won five straight women’s titles while the Delaware women, who have won 29 straight regular season matches vs. league opponents, have finished as runner-up six straight years. The Delaware men have finished third each of the past two seasons after winning their only America East title in 1997.

Leading the Delaware women are senior Erin Kamen (12-3 in singles), freshman Jessica Wilkes (12-3), Martine Street (10-1), and Kristin Wasniewski (10-4). Kamen has won 70 career singles matches, just three shy of the UD record of 73 set by Travis (then Laura Leroy) when she played at Delaware in 1985-89. Leading the Delaware men is freshman Lee Kennedy (14-8).