2008-09 rice women's tennis media guide

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INTRODUCTIONTable of Contents & Quick Facts ......................................................................................1Mission Statement ..............................................................................................................2Conference USA..................................................................................................................3Jake Hess Tennis Stadium ................................................................................................4Schedule...............................................................................................................................5Outlook .............................................................................................................................. 6-7Roster ....................................................................................................................................8

RICE UNIVERSITYAthletic Heritage ...............................................................................................................102007-08 Year in Review .....................................................................................................12Rice Traditions ...................................................................................................................14Rice University...................................................................................................................16College Life.........................................................................................................................20Academics Excellence and Athletics ............................................................................22Rice and the City of Houston ...........................................................................................24Rice Sports Medicine .......................................................................................................26

GENERAL INFORMATIONLocation ................................................................................................................... Houston, TexasEnrollment ..................................................................................................................................5,145Founded ............................................................................................... 1891 (First classes in 1912)Nickname ...................................................................................................................................OwlsMascot .................................................................................................................... Sammy the OwlColors .........................................................................................................................Blue and GrayPresident .............................................................................................................David W. LeebronDirector of Athletics ..............................................................................................Chris Del ConteConference........................................................................................................... Conference USA Member Since ....................................................................................................................2005

TENNIS STAFFHead Coach........................................................................................................ Elizabeth Schmidt Record at Rice ..................................................................................................... First Season Career Record ..........................................................................First Season as Head CoachAssistant Coach ..................................................................................................Kristina Babcock Year at Rice .........................................................................................................Third Season

2008-09 RICE WOMEN’S TENNIS MEDIA GUIDECOACHESHead Coach Elizabeth Schmidt ......................................................................................28Assistant Coach Kristina Babcock.................................................................................29Support Staff ......................................................................................................................30

2008-09 RICE OWLSEmily Braid .........................................................................................................................32Julie Chao...........................................................................................................................33Jessica Jackson ...............................................................................................................34Rebecca Lin .......................................................................................................................35Varsha Shiva-Shankar .....................................................................................................36Ana Guzman .......................................................................................................................37Rebekka Hanle...................................................................................................................37Alex Rasch .........................................................................................................................38

HISTORY2007-08 Stats ......................................................................................................................40All-Time Series ..................................................................................................................41Athletic Honors..................................................................................................................42Academic Honors .............................................................................................................442006 Conference USA Champions..................................................................................46All-Time Letterwinners .....................................................................................................47Rice Tennis Reunion Classic ...........................................................................................48

TEAM INFORMATION2007-08 Record ...........................................................................................................................17-52007-08 Conference USA Record .............................................................................................. 2-02008 Conference USA Tournament Finish ......................................................Lost in Semifinals2008 Postseason.......................................................................................................................NoneHome ............................................................................................................................................12-1Away ..............................................................................................................................................4-4Neutral ...........................................................................................................................................1-0vs. Nationally Ranked Opponents ............................................................................................. 8-3Letterwinners Returning/Lost .................................................................................................... 4/3Newcomers.......................................................................................................................................4

FACILITYHome Court ......................................................................................... Jake Hess Tennis Stadium Capacity ..............................................................................................................................1,400

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Mission of Rice Athletics

• In support of the educational mission of Rice University.

• Our mission is to guide and support Rice students in the pursuit of excellence – academically, athletically, and socially.

• Above all else, we produce difference-makers.

Guiding Principles of Rice AthleticsFive principles guide and govern our actions at all times and in our affairs.They define “what we stand for” and “what we won’t stand for.” They include:

1. Respect We treat ourselves and those we serve with dignity, kindness, and respect.

2. Positive Attitude We are forward-thinking. We approach our challenges and opportunities with a positive attitude. We enjoy what we do.

3. Focus We are focused on prioritizing and completing what’s most important. We have a stong work ethic.

4. Accountability We set clear performance standards and are personally accountable for our actions. We know that we are important part of a great team.

5. Continuous Improvement We are always looking for innovative and efficient ways to get things accomplished.

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Welcome to Conference USA, home to 12 na-tionally prominent, tradition-rich members in East Carolina, Houston, Marshall, Memphis, Rice, SMU, Southern Miss, Tulane, Tulsa, UAB, UCF and UTEP. This combination enhances men’s and women’s programs that are steeped in athletic success and academic prowess. To-gether, we are committed to excellence, integ-rity and leadership in athletics, academics and in our communities. Dedication to excellence is a common thread for C-USA and the guiding ini-tiative for the league’s promising future. All C-USA institutions sponsor Division I-A foot-ball, along with several other men’s and wom-en’s athletic programs, many of which compete regularly for NCAA Championships. C-USA sponsors competition in 19 sports — nine for men (baseball, basketball, cross country, foot-ball, golf, soccer, tennis and indoor and outdoor track and field) and 10 for women (basketball, cross country, golf, softball, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field and volleyball).

The league sponsors numerous academic awards, including the Commissioner’s Honor Roll and the Commissioner’s Academic Medal, indicative of outstanding achievement in the classroom. C-USA annually awards six post-graduate scholarships, along with the Sport Academic Award, Scholar Athletes of the Year and the Institutional Academic Excellence Award.

SUCCESS OFF THE FIELDC-USA institutions are among the nation’s best in academic performance among student-ath-letes, bolstered by the fact that student-athletes at league schools have a higher graduation rate than the general student population.

Among C-USA’s 5,000 student-athletes, there are champions off the playing field as well. In 12 years, 105 student-athletes earned national ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honors, while 338 were named All-District. In addition, more than 13,000 student-athletes have been named to the Commissioner’s Honor Roll or received the Commissioner’s Academic Medal, indicative of outstanding achievement in the classroom.

C-USA IN THE COMMUNITYThe conference’s footprint is concentrated with 12 members in nine states and a combined area population of nearly 17 million. More than 1.1 million living alumni represent C-USA schools across the nation. With a renewed commitment to community involvement, the conference has begun development of several initiatives to maintain strong ties in C-USA cities, as well as with fans and alumni across the country. C-USA schools also place a priority on giving back to their communities through volunteer service with local and national organizations.

GOVERNANCEAlong with the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10 and SEC, Conference USA is one of the seven conferences having significant repre-sentation in the NCAA governance structure.

The Presidents of the member institutions serve as the league’s Board of Directors. R. Gerald Turner of SMU currently serves as chair of the Board.

A PROUD HISTORY;A PROMISING FUTUREConference USA was formed in 1995 and quick-ly emerged as one of the nation’s top confer-ences. The conference unveiled its name, logo and commissioner on April 24, 1995 in Chicago. The league’s charter members included Char-lotte, Cincinnati, DePaul, Houston, Louisville, Marquette, Memphis, Saint Louis, Southern Miss, Tulane, UAB and USF. Eleven of the in-stitutions began athletic participation in 1995, while Houston joined competition in the fall of 1996.

The league’s headquarters were established in Chicago and after nine years, relocated to the current office in Irving, Texas. Britton Banowsky was named Commissioner in Octo-ber 2002, succeeding Mike Slive, the league’s first commissioner.

C-USA added East Carolina (September, 1996) and the United States Military Academy (March, 1997) as football members. ECU began league competition in 1997; Army in 1998 and UAB began football play in 1999. The league added TCU and ECU (1999) for all sports and they began competition in 2001. USF started C-USA football in 2003.

After celebrating its 10th Anniversary during the 2004-05 season, C-USA began a new chapter in 2005-06 when its current membership came to-gether to form the new look of the league.

Since its formation, C-USA has established a strong foundation, an identity and a history that reflects the league’s national presence. Twelve years of remarkable history has reinforced the league’s position in collegiate athletics, setting the course for the next decade and beyond.

Conference USA Commissioner Birtton Banowsky

C-USA Success on the Playing FieldConference USA performers have achieved great suc-cess in competition, placing the league among the top conferences in the nation.

Football• Rated among the top seven conferences in the

country.• 44 teams have earned bowl bids • Member of the Bowl Championship Series• Bowl tie-ins with the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, GMAC

Bowl, Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, Papa-johns.com Bowl, R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl and Texas Bowl

Men’s Basketball• Consistently rated as one of the top basketball

leagues in the country• 75 postseason teams (42 NCAA and 33 NIT)• One NCAA National Championship Game

appearance• Three Final Four teams• Seven Elite Eight NCAA Tournament teams• One NIT Champion and four NIT semifinalists• Inaugural CBI Champion

Women’s Basketball• 42 NCAA Tournament appearances• 29 WNIT appearances• One team in the NCAA Sweet 16• Two WNIT semifinalists

Baseball• 39 NCAA appearances• Four College World Series appearances in 2007, 2006,

2005 and 2001• Nine Super Regional appearances• Has produced at least four NCAA teams in each of the

last six seasons

In addition, 29 volleyball teams, 43 men’s and women’s soccer teams and 21 softball teams have earned NCAA Tournament bids. C-USA has sent three men’s soccer teams to the NCAA College Cup, five softball teams to the Women’s College World Series and three volleyball teams to the Sweet 16.

The league has also had three national champions in NCAA track and field competition, one national champion in diving and numerous NCAA individual and team competitors in cross country, golf, swimming, tennis and track and field.

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2008-09 RICE WOMEN’S TENNIS

CONFERENCE USA

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One of the finest facilities in the southwest, the Jake Hess Tennis Sta-dium gives the Owls a definite home-court advantage. Located adjacent to Tudor Fieldhouse and Reckling Park, the stadium was constructed in 1970. The stadium is named after Jake Hess, the major donor of the facility. Mr. Hess, along with his younger brother Wilbur Hess, was one of Rice’s greatest tennis players. He was the Owls’ first all-America player (1932). Wilbur was Rice’s first NCAA champion in tennis, winning the singles crown in 1935. In addition to serving as home court for all Rice dual matches and tournaments, the stadium also was the site of the tennis competition at the 1986 U.S. Olympic Festival, the 1990 and 1994 SWC Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships and the 1994 NCAA Men’s and 1997 NCAA Women’s regional championships. Rice also hosted the 2004 Western Athletic Con-ference Championships and 2006 Conference USA Championships at the stadium and will host the 2009 C-USA Women’s Championship. In 2004, the athletics department named center court of the Jake Hess Tennis Stadium for former letterman and 1950 All-America Jack A. Turpin. At Rice, Turpin teamed with Chick Harris to win the 1950 Southwest Confer-ence doubles championships before the pair went on to earn All-America distinction. Turpin continues to be a force in the sport of tennis at Rice and throughout the state of Texas. His dedication to the sport has led to the United States Tennis Association - Texas Section honoring him with the W.T. Caswell Service Award in 1964. In 1989, Turpin was inducted into the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame. In the first event on the newly named Jack Turpin Stadium Court, the Owls hosted the Western Athletic Conference men’s and women’s cham-pionships. The Rice men were triumphant, winning their first conference title since 1972. Since then, Rice has named three more courts for former Owls: Ron Fisher (Court 2), Fredrik G. Gradin (Court 3) and Alberto Carrero (Court 4). The 1,400-seat stadium features lighted courts, covered seating for spectators and a large scoreboard behind the center court. Since its opening in 1970, the stadium has seen a number of renovations, including the addition of lights to allow for night play as well as a locker rooms for both the men’s and women’s teams in 2005. In 2002, Jake Hess Tennis Stadium experienced a face-lift as the original six courts were completely redone, additional covered bleachers and benches were added. In 2006, the courts were resurfaced in blue and new windscreens were installed, creating a new look for the home team. In 2009, the area outside the stadium underwent a dramatic beautification

process with the construction of the Audrey Moody Ley Plaza, linking the Tudor Fieldhouse Complex, Reckling Park and Hess Stadium in a spec-tacular way. Naming one of the two remaining courts at the Jake Hess Tennis Sta-dium is an unique and lasting way to demonstrate your support to the Rice University tennis programs. Each court donor will be honored with a permanent plaque on the court bearing his or her name. Tax deductible donations may be made as a lump sum bequest or installments over a 5-year period. The Rice women’s tennis program enters a new era this season under first-year head coach Elizabeth Schmidt. Her goal is to raise the program to national prominence and consistently compete for – and win – confer-ence and national championships. Rice has always offered the best of both worlds to a student-athlete, an education that’s second to none and a tennis program that has a winning tradition. Times are changing; the face of a program has become critical in recruiting talented student-athletes. We appreciate your support and look forward to another exciting season of Rice tennis.

BENEFITS TO COURT NAMING ATJAkE HESS STADIUM

• GiftwilldirectlybenefittennisproGramaswellascurrent-use scholarshipmoniesforthetennisproGram.

• benefitsassociatedwithmembershipinriceathleticsfund,our umbrellaathleticfundraisinGorGanization.

• donationistaxdeductible.

• nameonthecourtwithnewriceathleticloGonexttoit.

• honoredwithapermanentplaquebearinGhisorhername.

• only$10,000ayearforfiveyearsorcanbelumpsumbequest.

• Justtwocourtsremainsoactquicklyonthisuniqueand excitinGopportunity.

JAkE HESS TENNIS STADIUM

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JAN. 16 LAMAR JAKE HESS TENNIS STADIUM 1:30 P.M.JAN. 17 TEXAS A&M CORPUS CHRISTI GALLERIA ATHLETIC TENNIS CLUB 2 P.M.Jan. 24 at Texas Austin, Texas 12 p.m.JAN. 25 SAM HOUSTON STATE JAKE HESS TENNIS STADIUM 1:30 P.M.JAN. 31 TEXAS-ARLINGTON JAKE HESS TENNIS STADIUM 1:30 P.M.

FEB. 1 TEXAS STATE JAKE HESS TENNIS STADIUM 11 A.M.Feb. 6 at Saint Mary’s Moraga, Calif. 2 p.m.Feb. 7 at Fresno State Fresno, Calif. 8 p.m.FEB. 11 PRAIRIE VIEW A&M JAKE HESS TENNIS STADIUM 2 P.M.Feb. 14 vs. Arizona Lubbock, Texas 12 p.m.Feb. 15 at Texas Tech Lubbock, Texas 11 a.m.Feb. 21 vs. Sacramento State Seattle, Wash. 1 p.m.Feb. 22 at Washington Seattle, Wash. 12 p.m.Feb. 28 at Western Michigan Kalamazoo, Mich. 1 p.m.

March 3 at Ohio State Columbus, Ohio 4 p.m.March 14 at Louisville Louisville, Ky. 12 p.m.MARCH 21 SOUTH ALABAMA JAKE HESS TENNIS STADIUM 3 P.M.MARCH 27 TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN JAKE HESS TENNIS STADIUM 9 A.M.MARCH 28 TULSA JAKE HESS TENNIS STADIUM 11 A.M.

APRIL 5 NORTH TEXAS JAKE HESS TENNIS STADIUM 11 A.M.APRIL 11 NORTHWESTERN STATE JAKE HESS TENNIS STADIUM 9 A.M.APRIL 12 SMU JAKE HESS TENNIS STADIUM 1 P.M.

CONFERENCE USA TOURNAMENTAPRIL 16-19 JAKE HESS TENNIS STADIUM HOUSTON, TEXAS

NCAA FIRST & SECOND ROUNDSMAY 8-10 CAMPUS SITES TBD

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPSMAY 8-10 College Station, TX

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2009 SCHEDULE

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2008-09 OUTLOOkThe Owls’ women’s tennis program begins a new era this season, with

head coach Elizabeth Schmidt returning to Rice to take the reins. After successful assistant coaching stints at Notre Dame and Rice, the former UCLA all-American begins her first season as a head coach.

“My long-term goals for the program are to be consistently ranked in the top 20, be a powerhouse in Conference USA and compete for national championships,” Schmidt said. “With Rice’s strong academics and a rich tennis tradition in Texas, there’s no reason we can’t do that.”

Many first-year head coaches are greeted with a rebuilding process, but Schmidt has veteran leaders along with talented newcomers eager to prove themselves.

The Owls return four regulars from last year’s lineup: senior Emily Braid, the lone remaining member of Rice’s 2006 Conference USA championship squad, juniors Julie Chao, who started every contest at No. 1, Rebecca Lin and sophomore Varsha Shiva-Shankar.

Rice also has a talented group of players who will see the first dual action of their careers in sophomore Jessica Jackson, redshirt freshman Rebekka Hänle and true freshmen Ana Guzman and Alex Rasch.

“We have a great mix, because the upperclassmen bring experience and the freshmen bring the novelty of competing on a team at this level for the first time,” Schmidt said. “The younger players bring a ton of excite-ment and have been a great addition.

“It’s great to see everyone working hard, but also having fun. I want them to enjoy the challenge of meeting our goals.”

SCHEDULEThe Owls will be tested early on before heading into the heart of their

season, where they will face six straight opponents ranked ahead of them going into the season.

“I like that we have a variety of schools on our schedule,” Schmidt said. “We will have our shots at some teams ranked ahead of us and will use each match as an opportunity to improve.”

Rice faces conference foes SMU and Tulsa toward the end of the regu-lar-season and will give the squad a good idea of where it stands heading into the Conference USA Championship.

The Owls hosts this year’s championship and hopes that gives them the edge to secure their second title in four years.

“We’re excited about hosting and getting a chance to play on our home courts in the biggest matches of the year, next to NCAAs,” Schmidt said. “The regular season should prepare us for the challenge and give us a chance to put our best, most-improved team out there.”

LINEUPSchmidt will have many options with her lineup this season, as each

player is capable of competing for a spot each and every match.

As the only senior on the 2008-09 team, Emily Braid brings the most ex-perience to the table. Braid went 12-7, mostly from the No. 5 spot, and had an impressive doubles run with Varsha Shiva-Shankar, winning 12 of their last 13 matches and finishing the season with a 14-5 mark.

“Emily simply outworks her opponent,” Schmidt said. “She has a big lefty serve and uses it well. She’s been there in the big moments, since she’s the only one with a conference championship, and she has a deep down desire to win.”

Julie Chao remains the Owls’ No. 1 for the third-straight year. Last sea-son, she posted a 15-7 record in the top spot after an 11-10 mark en route to Conference USA Freshman of the Year honors in 2007.

“Julie understands what it takes to win at the No. 1 spot and, as a coach, that is great to have,” Schmidt said. “This year, she has a chance to make an impact at the national level and be a great leader for this team.”

Rebecca Lin has action from the No. 4 and No. 5 positions, tallying a 14-7 record as a sopohomore and 11-10 mark as a freshman.

“Rebecca has experience in the middle of the lineup and knows how to finish when the match is on the line,” Schmidt said. “She takes time away from her opponent, using a variety of shots to control the action. She has great hands and likes to come forward to finish points.”

CHAO

2008-09 RICE WOMEN’S TENNISAT A GLANCE

Preseason ITA National Ranking: 68

Preseason ITA Southwest Regional Ranking: 7Singles: Julie Chao (23)

Nationally-Ranked Opponents:Texas (16), Saint Mary’s (59), Fresno State (15), Texas Tech (74), Washington (38), Sacramento State (58), Western Michigan (54), Ohio State (32), Louisville (40), Tulsa (34), SMU (72)

What to Watch for:First-year head coach Elizabeth SchmidtJulie Chao: Rice’s No. 1 for third-straight yearFour newcomers to dual-match playRice hosts Conference USA Championship

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2008-09 OUTLOOkSophomore Varsha Shiva-Shankar settled into the No. 6 position in her

rookie season with a solid 12-3 campaign. She could see most of the ac-tion at the No. 5 position as she continues to mature as a player.

“She has one of the biggest serves in the game, both first serves and second serves,” Schmidt said. “Varsha has a ton of talent and has become more disciplined.

“She uses a big forehand to set up points and, as she has learned how to construct points, she has developed into a more consistent player.”

Freshman Ana Guzman has quickly established herself as one of the Owls’ top players with a strong fall campaign. She could see a lot of action near the top of the lineup during her first year and establish herself as a force for years to come.

“Ana is the type of player that her opponents will never feel comfort-able against,” Schmidt said. “She mixes pace well, meaning you won’t get the same ball from her over and over. She has a ton of energy and is a strong presence - she’s a sparkplug.”

Jessica Jackson is a sophomore, but sat out last season and will see her first dual-match action this spring.

“Jessica is a cosistent player,” Schmidt said. “She breaks down her opponents and hits a clean ball. She can control points and let them de-velop from the baseline.”

Alex Rasch is Rice’s other true freshman in addition to Guzman, who will be looking to make an early impact in her career.

“Alex looks to control points early and has what I call controlled ag-gression,” Schmidt said. “She brings her game face everyday. She also has a big forehand and doesn’t wait for her opponent to come to her.”

Rebecca Hänle is the lone redshirt freshman on the squad and will also see her first dual-match action.

“Rebecca has a lot of international experience in big matches and also hits a very clean ball,” Schmidt said. “While she is more of a counter-puncher, she is a very good ball striker and can be aggressive.”

CHEMISTRYThe dual match format in collegiate tennis allows for great moments for

teammates to bond, even in a sport that largely comes down to individual play.

The best teams know how to both support and challenge one another. With the doubles matches worth a point, chemistry can often be the dif-ference in a tight match.

“Everyone is buying into what we are trying to accomplish,” Schmidt said. “Everone has put aside their selfish motivations, because they real-ize it takes all eight of them to succeed.

“It’s a very diverse group -- they come from all over the world, but they work hard together and naturally connect. It’s a special group that is fo-cused on a common goal.”

LIN

BRAID & SHIVA-SHANKAR

2009 CONFERENCE USACHAMPIONSHIP INFORMATION

Host: Rice UniversityLocation: Jake Hess Tennis Stadium (Rice Campus)Dates: April 16-19

Rice Sports Information Contact: Chuck PoolPhone: (713) 348-5775E-mail: [email protected]

Conference USA Tennis Contact: Tod MeisnerPhone: (214) 774-1300E-mail: [email protected]

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NAME HT. YR. EXP. HOMETOWN (PREVIOUS SCHOOL)Emily Braid 5-9 Sr. 3L Raleigh, N.C. (Wakefield HS)Julie Chao 5-6 Jr. 2L San Diego, Calif. (Westview HS)Ana Guzman 5-11 Fr. HS Guatemala City, Guatemala (University of Miami (Fla.) Online)Rebekka Hänle 5-8 Fr. RS Ochsenhausen, Germany (Gymnasium Ochsenhausen)Jessica Jackson 5-7 So. HS Solihull, England (King Edwards HS)Rebecca Lin 5-3 Jr. 2L San Diego, Calif. (Torrey Pines HS)Alex Rasch 5-7 Fr. HS Guatemala City, Guatemala (Bradenton (Fla.) Prep)Varsha Shiva-Shankar 5-11 So. 1L Bangalore, India (National Institute of Open Schooling)

Head CoachElizabeth Schmidt

Assistant CoachKristina Babcock

2008-09 ROSTER

SENIOR EMILY BRAID &COACHES SCHMIDT AND BABCOCK JUNIORS JULIE CHAO & REBECCA LIN

SOPHOMORES VARSHA SHIVA-SHANKAR,REBEKKA HäNLE & JESSICA JACKSON FRESHMEN ALEX RASCH & ANA GUZMAN

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2009 RICE WOMEN’S TENNIS GUIDE

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Athletic Heritage

Athletic Highlights• The first NCAA team championship for Rice, occurred in 2003, when the Owls won the College World Series.

• The 1946 football Owls were SouthwestConference co-champions and went on to defeat Tennessee in the Orange Bowl.

• In 2000, Rice won an unprecedented six Western Athletic Conference titles. The Owls were victorious in women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, and baseball.

• A total of 16 Owls have been drafted in the first round by Major League Baseball clubs.

• Trevor Cobb won the Doak Walker Award in 1991 as the nation’s top running back. He was a two-time All-America and a three-time most valuable player for the Owls.

• Morris Almond, was the 25th pick in the first round by the Utah Jazz in the 2007 NBA Draft. He became the first Rice Owl to be selected in the first round since Ricky Pierce was the 18th overall pick in the 1982 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons. Almond is one of 20 men’s basketball players to playprofessionally since 1992.

• Team captain Larry Izzo has won three Super Bowl rings as a member of the New England Patriots. More than 50 Owls have played in the NFL.

• Rice’s women’s basketball team has been to the “Big Dance” twice after winning the 2000 and 2005 WAC Championship to earn the league’s NCAA automatic bid.

• Marla Brumfield was drafted by the Minnesota Lynx in 2000 and spent three years in the WNBA.

• Rice has won individual national titles in men’s tennis (two singles and two doubles), women’s tennis (doubles), men’s track and field and women’s track and field.

• The Owls have won a total of 75 conference titles.

• 495 Owls have earned All-America honors.

• Rice has been represented at 11 Olympics by 20 different athletes, dating back to the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics.

The 2003 baseball team won the NCAA championship to capture Rice’s first team title in any sport.

Doak Walker presents Trevor Cobb the Doak Walker Trophy as the nation’s best running back for 1991.

In 1995, Sammy Waldron became Rice’s first vol-leyball All-America selection.

Fred Hansen won the gold medal in the pole vault at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

Morris Almond was a first round draft pick of the NBA’s Utah Jazz.

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RAthletic Heritage

Larry Izzo has won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots.

2008 All-Star Lance Berkman hit 41 home runs in his junior season at Rice and is considered one of Major League Baseball’s best hitters.

Regina Cavanaugh was a six-time NCAA champion and eight-time All-America inthe shot put.

Rice’s Mike Wilks won an NBA title with the 2005 San Antonio Spurs.

Rice Owl Norm Charlton won the World Series with the Cincinnati Reds in 1990.

Rice’s Funmi Jimoh made the U.S. Olympic team in long jump for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She also became the ninth Rice women’s track and field athlete to represent her country in Olympic competition and the 2008 Olympics will be the sixth consecutive Olympiad to have at least one Rice women’s track and field athlete in the field.

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RIt was another banner year for Rice athletics during the 2007-08 season. For starters, Wayne Graham’s baseball Owls won another league championship by capturing the Conference USA regular season title. Rice again swept through the NCAA Regional and Super Regional to earn its third-consecutive trip to the College World Series and seventh overall. The Owls have now played in the NCAA baseball tournament 14-straight years. Graham also was named C-USA Coach of the Year for the third-straight time.

The Owls’ women’s track and field teams won the triple crown in capturing Conference USA championships in cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field.

Only one other school in America out of 32 conferences accomplished what the Owls did and that was Western Kentucky in the Sun Belt Conference.

“Every year you have three opportunities to win a championship,” says head coach

Jim Bevan. “To win all three, you have to have a balance team, stay healthy, and then compete at a high level three different times. It’s difficult to achieve excellence three times a year, but it says a lot about our training system, our coaching staff, and our support staff, especially the athletic trainers and team doctors.”

This is the second time that Rice has completed the trifecta in school history. The first instance occurred in 1999-2000, under the direction of Victor Lopez, when the Owls competed in the Western Athletic Conference. It is also the first time in C-USA since Marquette won all three titles in 1995-96.

Bevan, last year, was named Conference USA Coach of the Year for cross country, indoor track and field, and for outdoor track and field. He was also named NCAA South Central Regional Coach of the Year for cross country.

Rice men’s tennis program under head coach Ron Smarr earned its sixth straight

NCAA tournament and advanced to the second round. Sophomore number one singles player Bruno Rosa achieved All-America status and played in the NCAA singles tournament advancing to the second round. Rice’s doubles team of Christoph Müller and Ralph Knupfer played in the NCAA doubles tournament and earned C-USA’s Most Outstanding Doubles Team. The Rice women’s tennis squad won a school-record 17 matches .For the second-straight season, Seth

Huston’s swimming team placed second in C-USA. Senior swimmer Brittany Massengale became the Owls first swimming All-America since 2003, after qualifying ninth in the 500-yard freestyle at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championship.

Individually, several Owls earned athletic accolades last year. Senior wide receiver Jarett Dillard again earned first team All-CUSA honors, while tight end James

Bruno Rosa.

2007-08 Year In Review

We Are The Champions. Rice won the triple crown in winning Conference USA team titles in cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field (above) in 2007-08.

Brittany Massengale.


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Casey was named to the Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-American Football Team and to The Sporting News Freshman All-America second-team. Also earning freshman All-America honors was shortstop Rick Hague by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Junior right-handed pitcher Bryan Price was the 45th player selected overall on the opening day of the 2008 Major League Baseball amateur draft. Price was taken by the Boston Red Sox in the supplemental round, the so called “sandwich” round between the draft’s official first and second round. He was the first pitcher taken by the Red Sox, the defending World Series champions.

He was also the 13th right-handed pitcher taken overall.

Valeriya Berezhynska was chosen by the Detroit Shock with the 42nd pick during the third round of the WNBA Draft. Berezhynska became only the third Owl all-time to be selected in the WNBA Draft. Marla Brumfield and Kirra Jordan were previous Owls drafted in 2000, by the Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm, respectively.

In track and field, senior Rachel Greff placed fifth in the pole vault at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship to earn All-America status. Sophomore pole vaulter Jason Colwick sported the nation’s number-one mark last season at 18’ 2.5.” Freshman Becky Wade won the 3000m steeplechase at the U.S. Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championship. The victory earned her a spot on the U.S. Junior National Team that competed in Poland at the 12th IAAF World Junior Championships.

Rice cross country athletes Marissa Daniels a n d Brad Morris along with m e n ’ s basketball player Paulius Packevicius were named recipients of the 2007-08 C-USA Scholar Athlete of the Year Awards for their respective sports. Furthermore,

Daniels was named Academic All-America first team and distance runner Brett Olson was

selected to the A c a d e m i c Al l -Amer ica second team.

Rice baseball, in 2008, won the Conference USA regular season championship and swept through the NCAA Regional and NCAA Super Regional to advance to its third-straight College World Series.

2007-08 Year In Review

Valeriya Berezhynska.

Jarett Dillard.


R Traditions

The InstituteUntil 1960, Rice University was known as Rice Institute, or more formally, as the William Marsh Rice Institute of Literature, Science and Art. William Marsh Rice, a Massachusetts-born merchant, cotton

trader and businessman who made the bulk of his fortune in Houston following the Civil War, had willed the original endowment for the institute in 1891.

Following his mysterious death in 1900 at age 83, that will was contested. A long legal battle over the endowment ensued. Rice’s valet and an attorney were later charged with Rice’s death, and a sensational murder trial followed. It was not until 1912 that his dream of creating Houston’s first university could be realized.

The PresidentsEdgar Odell Lovett, a professor of astronomy at Princeton University, was named the institute’s first president in 1908. Over the next four years, he supervised both the construction of the initial buildings on the barren campus at the end of Main Street and the appointment of the first faculty.

Lovett served as Rice’s president until 1947, when William V. Houston succeeded him. The institute’s original Administration Building was renamed Lovett Hall in his honor later that year.

Houston served as president until 1961, when Kenneth S. Pitzer succeeded him. Norman Hackerman became Rice’s fourth president in 1970. George E. Rupp was inaugurated in 1985. Malcolm Gillis took office in 1993, and David W. Leebron became Rice’s seventh president on July 1, 2004.

The OwlsAlthough each college has its own unique traditions, Rice has several traditions that apply to students across the board. Among them is the university mascot, the owl, which is derived from the university’s heraldic shield. The designer of the crest noted that the arms of several families named Houston and Rice both had chevrons of the avian charges, and he adapted those for the institute. In the official shield, a double chevron divides the field, and the charges are the Owls of Athena as they appear on a small ancient Greek coin.

Sammy the OwlWhen athletic activities began at the institute in 1912, the teams were named for

the bird on the institute’s seal. As a result, Rice’s early students used a large canvas owl as a mascot.

It was a tempting target to the institute’s rivals, and students from Texas A&M kidnapped the owl in 1917. Rice students sent a private detective to College Station to recover their mascot. When the detective sent a cryptic telegram with the message, “Sammy is fairly well and would like to see his parents at eleven o’clock,” the Rice owl had a name. That original mascot was safely returned to campus.

Blue and GrayRice’s first president, Edgar Odell Lovett, chose the university’s official colors in 1912. It was a more difficult task than the design of the seal itself, since it would not be proper to duplicate the colors of another university. At the same time, Lovett wanted to harmonize the appearance of the new shield with state and national colors. The final choices were a Confederate gray enlivened by a tinge of lavender and a blue deeper than Oxford blue.

The Coaches TableOne of the newest traditions at Rice is the Coaches’ Table. Rice head coaches, All-American Owls and opposing coaches are invited to engrave their names on the table. The original tradition of the Coaches’ Table began around 70 years ago. Rice coaches would take their daily coffee breaks at Ye Olde College Inn, a famous Houston restaurant located across Main Street from the old Rice Field House, at a table in the restaurant’s loft area. The tradition continued until Ye Olde College Inn closed in the early 1960s. The table itself was lost for many years until it was rediscovered in 1990. The original table and a new duplicate, used for current signatures, are both on display in the Owl Club.


RAmong those who signed the original table were College Football Hall of Famer Jess Neely; 10-time Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year Bear Bryant; Darrell Royal, who lead the University of Texas Longhorns to more wins than any other coach to date; Michigan Sports Hall of Famer Duffy Daugherty; and John Heisman, for whom the Heisman Trophy was named. Signers of the new table include such luminaries as 1991 Doak Walker Award–winner Trevor Cobb, former Grambling coach Eddie Robinson, former Houston Oilers coach Jack Pardee and the coaches of Rice’s home football foes during the past 16 seasons.

Honor SystemThe student-administered Honor Code is one of the most distinct aspects of the academic experience at Rice. It was established in 1916 and is one of the few remaining honor systems in American education. Everyone who enrolls at Rice agrees to abide by the code, which covers such matters as plagiarism and giving or receiving aid on exams.

The Honor Code fosters a spirit of freedom, independence, honesty and mutual trust that exemplifies the academic enterprise at its best. In most classes, students are able to schedule final exams when they want them, and exams may often be taken in the library or in the students’ rooms.

The student-elected and student-run Honor Council considers reported violations and has the power to recommend punishment.

The MOBThe Rice Marching Owl Band (MOB) combines special musical arrangements with unusual concepts in performance to produce unique halftime entertainment. Whether it’s a human “cockroach” desecrating a rival’s field, a humorous commentary on current events or social

change, or anything — and we do mean anything — in between, each show aims to provoke thought, stimulate conversation and, above all, entertain.

Membership in the MOB is open to all students, whether or not they are musically gifted. Those who do not play an instrument help in the production of halftime shows as MOB show assistants. Benefits of being in the MOB include tickets to road games, attendance scholarships, travel opportunities — and a certain undying infamy.

Rice SongsRice’s Honor (Alma Mater)

All for Rice’s Honor, we will fight on.We will be fighting, when this day is done;

And when the dawn comes breakingWe’ll be fighting on, Rice,

For the Gray and Blue. We will be loyalTo Rice be true.

Fight For RiceFight for Rice; Rice, fight on;

Loyal sons, arise!The Blue and Gray of Rice today

Comes breaking through the skies.Stand and cheer! Victory’s near!

Sammy leads the way.Onward go, to crush the foe.

We’ll fight for the Blue and Gray.

The Old Gray BonnetPut on your old gray bonnet, with the blueribbon on it, And we’ll take old Sammy to

the fray; And we’ll rock, rock, rock’em,And we’ll sock, sock, sock’emTo the end of Judgment Day.

Traditions


RVision for the Second CenturyIn order to continue to achieve educational excellence in Rice’s second century, the university established the Vision for the Second Century (V2C) in 2005. This 10-point strategic treatise sets forth goals that aim to renew the university’s focus on research, provide an excellent undergraduate education and foster collaborative relationships with other institutions and the city of Houston, among other objectives. For a comprehensive explanation of the V2C, visit www.rice.edu/vision.

EducationFrom its inception, Rice University has been dedicated to creating unconventional wisdom: preparing outstanding students for diverse careers and lives, contributing to the advancement of learning across a wide range of research and scholarship, and sharing that knowledge and discovery with the world.

Rice’s advantages are its relatively small size, urban location, diversity and environment of interdisciplinary and interinstitutional collaboration. The second-smallest member of the Association of American Universities, Rice is home to a carefully selected body of students, staff and faculty*: • 3,001 undergraduates• 2,144 graduate students• 1,964 staff• 611 full-time faculty• 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio * Numbers are accurate as of June 1, 2008.

The university’s more than 47,000 living alumni offer loyal and energetic support that enriches the school in many ways, and the 25 trustees on its board bring an exceptional breadth of experience and perspective to their responsibilities.

With its dual commitment to excellent teaching and research innovation, Rice attracts extraordinary professors dedicated both to working with undergraduates in the classroom and to advancing knowledge and understanding. This ensures that each Rice student has direct contact with professors who, through their writing and research, have gained acclaim as some of the most scholarly minds in their fields.

William Marsh Rice’s founding vision of superior education for the brightest students, regardless of their ability to pay for that privilege, continues today. A generous endowment of approximately $4.7 billion, one of the largest in the country, allows Rice to keep costs affordable. Those same financial assets are used to maintain the high-quality facilities and award-winning laboratories necessary for a world-class education, without passing the burden of that cost on to students.

Rice’s RankingsWant to know why Rice University is considered one of the premier institutions of higher education in the nation? Here are just a few of the reasons:

• No. 1 best value among private colleges, The Princeton Review (2008)

• Among the top 20 national universities, U.S. News & World Report (2007, 2008)

• One of “America’s 25 New Elite Ivies,” Kaplan/Newsweek College Guide (2007)

• The most productive research university in Texas, Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index (2007)

The Student ExperienceRice undergraduates rank among the finest in the country. Each year, more than 700 new students are selected from an applicant pool of approximately 9,000. Sixty-eight percent of the freshmen in 2007 ranked in the top 5 percent of their high school classes, 75 percent had SAT I scores of 1330 or better and 25 percent were National Merit Scholars.

Our undergraduates reflect the diversity from which the university draws its strength. Current enrollment includes students from all 50 states and 46 countries around the world, and more than one-third of our students are members of ethnic minority groups. The result is an academic environment animated by diversity.

The common thread that unites such diversity is the collective pursuit of excellence in the classroom. Graduate students teach only about 6 percent of our classes, and our student-to-faculty ratio is 5:1. Rice students enjoy opportunities to conduct undergraduate research, and 94 percent of undergraduate classes have fewer than 30 students. This small size allows for plenty of discussion and personal attention. Rice professors are likely to know a student’s name and remember the last paper he or she wrote — and when the time comes, they are able to write letters of recommendation based on something more than grade sheet scores.

Although our students’ academic abilities are exceptional, they do more than attend classes and study. Rice has more than 200 student organizations devoted to academic and pre-professional activities, cultural and social awareness, political issues, religious interests and community service projects.

Rice Facts• Undergraduate enrollment: 3,001• Graduate enrollment: 2,144• Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1• Median undergraduate class size: 12• Approximate annual cost (tuition, fees, and room and board): $41,229• Middle 50 percent range of SAT I scores of students accepted in 2007: 1330–1510• Total endowment: Approximately $4.7 billion• Percentage of students from Texas: 50 percent• Percentage of students from out of state: 48 percent (2 percent didn’t designate)• Percentage of undergraduate students from ethnic minority groups: 41 percent• Areas of study: 55• Percentage of women: 43 percent• Percentage of men: 57 percent

Rice University


RAfter GraduationRice University is an ideal place for talented students to maximize their potential, as seen by their success after graduation. More than 60 percent of Rice students who apply to graduate or professional school are admitted to their first choice institution, and the university is proud to count Rhodes and Marshall Scholars among many of its graduating classes. For students who choose to go directly into the workforce after graduation, the Career Services Center hosts more than 100 employers conducting more than 1,200 on-campus interviews during the academic year. The Career Services staff also offers assistance with resume writing, interviewing and networking, and specialized advisors help prepare students for graduate study and for admission into medical, law and business schools.

Rice Areas of StudySchool of HumanitiesArt History, Classical Studies, English, French Studies, German and Slavic Studies, Hispanic Studies, History, Kinesiology, Linguistics, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Visual and Dramatic Arts

School of Social SciencesAnthropology, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology

School of ArchitectureArchitecture, Architectural Studies

Shepherd School of MusicPerformance, Composition, Music History, Music Theory

Wiess School of Natural SciencesBiochemistry and Cell Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy

George R. Brown School of EngineeringBioengineering, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Computational and Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Statistics

Interdepartmental MajorsAncient Mediterranean Civilizations, Asian Studies, Cognitive Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Managerial Studies, Medieval Studies, Policy Studies, Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality

Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of ManagementBusiness Administration

Continuing StudiesIn addition to its prestigious degree programs, the Susanne M. Glasscock School of Continuing Studies at Rice offers the largest selection of noncredit arts and sciences courses in Texas. It is also well known for its professional development courses and customized courses for businesses. The school has nearly 10,000 enrollments a year, offering 250 courses in arts, humanities, sciences, foreign languages and communications skills, and students from 41 countries have completed the English as a Second Language Program.

Notable Rice AlumniWilliam Archer (1949) U.S. House of Representatives

Garrett Boone (1966) Co-founder of The Container Store

Ron Bozman (1969) Executive producer of Silence of the Lambs, Beloved, and Philadelphia

George R. Brown (1920) Co-founder of Brown and Root; founder of Texas Eastern Corp.; philanthropist and engineer

William Broyles Jr. (1966) Founding editor, Texas Monthly; former editor-in-chief, Newsweek; screenwriter (Apollo 13 and Castaway)

Robert Curl (1954) Nobel Laureate (1996)

Karen Davis (1965) Economist, president of The Commonwealth Fund (health and policy issues)

Charles Duncan Jr. (1947) Former U.S. Secretary of Energy, former president of the Coca-Cola Company

Carol Flake (1969) Founding editor of reborn Vanity Fair

N. Wayne Hale Jr. (1976) Director, Space Shuttle Program, NASA

Fred Hansen (1963) Gold medalist in pole vault at 1964 Olympics

Henry Hernandez Jr. (1978) Managing director of Soza International (consulting/corporate finance for Hispanic firms)

Roy Hofheinz (1932) State legislator, judge, sports magnate, circus owner, radio tycoon

Mary E. Johnston (1941) Chief of Reports, Fortune; responsible for the origination of the Fortune 500

Larry McMurtry (1960) Academy Award and Pulitzer Prize winner; author of Lonesome Dove, Terms of Endearment, and The Last Picture Show

S.I. Morris (1935) Architect (Astrodome, Houston Public Library, One Houston Center, and WorthamTheater)

Jim Newman (1982) NASA astronaut

LeAnne Schreiber (1967) ESPN Ombudsman and first woman sports editor of a major daily (New York Times)

Charles Tandy (1939) Founder, chairman, president of Tandy Corp. (now Radio Shack)

Vivan Vahlberg (1970) First woman president of the National Press Club

Wylie Vale Jr. (1963) Professor, chairman, trustee, senior investigator at the

Salk Institute for Biological Studies

Peggy Whitson (1986) NASA Astronaut

Rice University

Astronaut Peggy Whitson’s first space mission was in 2002, with an extended stay aboard the International Space Station as a member of Expedition 5. Her second mission launched October 10, 2007, as the first female commander of the ISS with Expedition 16. With her two long- duration stays abroad the ISS, Whitson is NASA’s most experienced astronaut, with just over 376 days in space. This also places her twentieth among all space flyers.


RInternational ReachThe university has national and international reach and seeks to attract the most talented people by promoting, celebrating and reaping the benefits of diversity. Recognizing that a global perspective is increasingly important, Rice encourages students to enrich their academic experiences with a variety of study abroad programs. Rice and Rice-affiliated programs send students to study in such places as Australia, Chile, England, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, New Zealand, Russia and Spain, and Rice has developed significant partnerships with major universities and organizations in Europe, East Asia, and Latin and South America.

Schools and InstitutesStudents are selected on a “needblind” basis and enroll in the schools of architecture, engineering, humanities, management, natural sciences, music and social sciences, which rank among the highest in their disciplines. Additionally, undergraduate and graduate students benefit from a variety of institutes and centers, including the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, a nonpartisan institute that has brought a distinctive voice to national policy dialogue. Speakers at the institute have included Nelson Mandela, Colin Powell, Vladimir Putin, Madeleine Albright and Bill Clinton.

Indeed, national and world leaders have been coming to Rice for much of the 20th century, beginning with Gen. John Pershing’s visit in 1920. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy stood in Rice Stadium to announce plans for the U.S.-manned missions to the moon before the end of the 1960s. Other prominent leaders to grace the campus include U.S. presidents Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lyndon B. Johnson, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton as well as Phillip, Prince of Wales and the Dalai Lama.

Rice University

Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. Arab Republic of Egypt President Hosni Mubarak.

Writer Kurt Vonnegut.

Artist Andy Warhol.

His Holiness, The Dalai Lama, with Rice University President David W. Leebron.


RWhere the World Comes Together

Distinguished Visitors to RiceColin Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State

Madeleine Albright, former U.S. Secretary of StateHenry Kissinger, former U.S. Secretary of State

Warren Christopher, former U.S. Secretary of StateBetty Williams, Nobel Peace Prize RecipientNorman Schwarzkopf, U.S. General (retired)

Daniel Goldin, NASA Administrator Andre Watts, pianist

Yo-Yo Ma, cellist Cecilia Bartoli, opera singer Maurice Ravel, composer

Isaac Stern, violinist Midori, violinist

Beverly Sills, opera singer Max Ernst, artist

Rene Magritte, artistAndy Warhol, artist

Kurt Vonnegut, writerCarlos Fuentes, writerNorman Mailer, writer

Saul Bellow, writerJoyce Carol Oates, writer

Margaret Mead, anthropologistRichard Leakey, paleontologist

Jane Goodall, primatologistArnold Toynbee, historian

Lionel Trilling, literary criticRoy Wilkins, civil rights leader

International DignitariesWho Have Visited Rice

Brian Mulroney Former Canadian Prime Minister

Francois Mitterand Former French President

Helmut Kohl Former German Chancellor

Mary McAleese Irish President

Giulio Andreotti Former Italian Prime Minister

Toshiki Kaifu Former Japanese Prime Minister

Mikhail Gorbachev Former Soviet Union President

Eduard Shevardnadze Former Georgian President

Helmut Schmidt Former German Chancellor

Andres Pastrana Arango Former Colombian President

Boutros Boutros-Ghali U.N. Secretary-General

Nelson Mandela Former Prime Minister of South Africa

United States PresidentsWho Have Visited Rice

William Howard TaftHerbert Hoover

Franklin D. RooseveltDwight D. Eisenhower

John F. KennedyLyndon B. Johnson

Gerald FordJimmy Carter

Ronald ReaganGeorge H.W. Bush

Bill Clinton

Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

Former U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Former U.S. President Gerald Ford.

Former U.S. President John F. Kennedy.


RResidential CollegesThe student culture at Rice is thick with tradition, largely due to its unique residential college system, often cited as one of the most rewarding aspects of the university. Every student lives in or is associated with one of nine colleges, which offers a rich, secure environment where he or she develops as an individual and forges friendships that last a lifetime. Each college has developed its own traditions, cultural activities, friendly rivalries and character over the last 50 years.

Baker College, named after Capt. James Addison Baker, was founded in 1957 and has the distinction of being the oldest college on the Rice campus. Baker was William Marsh Rice’s attorney and investigated his

death, uncovering a murder plot. Without him, the endowment for the Rice Institute would have been lost. Baker Shake, the annual Shakespearean play produced by the college, began 32 years ago. Baker Feast is another Elizabethan-themed event and is a highly secretive celebration co-hosted by Baker and Jones Colleges.

Will Rice College is traditionally considered the second residential college, although a student recently discovered that the Old Dorm section of Will Rice is actually the oldest building on campus (built in

1912). The college is named for William Marsh Rice Jr., the nephew of the founder of the Rice Institute. Will Rice considers itself the “college of individuals,” in that its identity is formed more by the individuals of the college than by tradition. The essence of the college is summed up by the saying, “Myth. Power. Value.”

Hanszen College became one of the five original residential colleges in 1957. The college is named after a Texas oilman who served as chairman of the Rice Board of Governors from 1946–50, Harry Clay Hanszen.

In the early years, it had a reputation as a “gentleman’s college,” and dinner was a formal affair every evening. Speakers such as Ronald Reagan and John Glenn were invited to speak at the college, a tradition that has continued to this day. Hanszen College’s contributions to campus life include the beginnings of what have become The Coffeehouse and KTRU radio station. Hanszen was first to go coed in 1973.

Wiess College, named in memory of the oil tycoon Harry Carothers Wiess, was constructed during the 1949–50 school year. The college converted to a coed dorm in 1983. It was a group of Wiessmen who performed one of the most famous Rice “jacks”

when they turned the academic quad’s statue of William Marsh Rice around to face Fondren Library. In 2002, a new Wiess complex opened — a dramatic departure from the “humble motel” original, which was demolished and the land around it restored to campus green space.

Opened in 1957, Mary Gibbs Jones College was named after the wife of Jesse H. Jones, the founder of Houston Endowment. Jones was the first women’s college on campus, but it became coed in 1980 when

Lovett sent a group of men over in exchange for women. College life includes traditions such as throwing members into the Fairy Fountain on their birthdays and conducting a Turkey Drive to raise money for a local food bank each fall.

Brown College was founded in 1963 to address the problem of limited housing for women on campus. The dorm was built with money donated by Alice Pratt and George R. Brown in memory of their sister-in-law, Margarett

Root Brown. It was the second all-women’s dorm on campus and the last to become coed. Brown finally accepted men as transfers from other colleges in 1987. Brown has a close-knit atmosphere and a strong sense of tradition, and it sponsors numerous community and social events throughout the year. The college had been the smallest on campus since its founding, but the addition of a new wing in 2002 made Brown the largest college.

Lovett College was commissioned by George R. Brown in 1967 and named after the university’s first president, Edgar Odell Lovett. The riot-proof cement grating that encloses the

1960s building resulted in the nickname “The Toaster.” Lovett was founded as an all-male college, and turned coed in 1980. The basement was once the only pub on campus — now it is used to host an open microphone forum called The Undergrounds every Friday night.

The 14-story Sid Richardson College is the tallest building on campus. It was founded in 1971 and named after a Texas philanthropist. Many of Sid Rich’s traditions stem from the building’s height

and its multiple balconies. Since Balcony Ball, a game in which a ball was thrown between balconies, is not allowed anymore, residents have resorted to pouring water from their balconies instead. As a result, Sid Rich’s reputation for dousing people who are coming up the stairs has persisted through the years.

The ninth college on the Rice campus is Martel College, which is named after Houston businessman Speros Martel. The building opened for residency in spring 2002. Despite many setbacks during

its building process, including Tropical Storm Allison (which hit in the middle of construction), residents easily assimilated and created college traditions such as Oktoberfest and an annual birthday bash held on Jan. 25 to celebrate the day the first residents moved in.

In addition, two new colleges are currently under construction: McMurtry College, announced in 2006 and named after former Rice Board of Trustees member Burton McMurtry ’56 and his wife, Deedee ’56; and Duncan College, announced in 2007 and named after former chairman of the Rice Board of Trustees Charles Duncan and his wife, Anne. Duncan College boasts the distinction of being the first building at Rice — and among the first in Houston — to be built to the gold level of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards. Both McMurtry and Duncan colleges are scheduled to open for student use in time for the fall of 2009.

College Life


RCollege Life


R Academic Excellence and Athletics

Student-athletes at Rice are committed to excellence both on the playing field and in the classroom. In return, the university strives to do all it can to make sure each athlete makessteady progress toward earning a degree.

Julie Griswold, the associate director of academic advising for athletics, and her staff work individually with each student-athlete to construct and monitor the student’s academic path. From freshman orientation to selecting a major to guiding class schedules to weekly appointments designed to monitor academic progress, the academic staff works toward ensuring that each student receives the help he or she needs to be successful in Rice’s challenging environment.

Among the many resources Rice offers its athletes are unlimited individual tutoring sessions, supervised study halls, assistance in selecting majors and courses, and study skills seminars. The academic staff also helps determine the availability of courses to avoid conflict with practices and competition schedules, and it assists in helping student-athletes in their career paths.

Evidence of SuccessAccording to figures compiled by the NCAA, the Owls ranked among the top 10 in the nation in total graduation rates for athletes last year among the 117 universities playing Division 1-A football. What’s more, the four-year class average beginning with the entering class of 1997-98 posted a football graduation rate of 85 percent, ranking 11th nationally, and a graduation

success rate (which factors in transfers to and from Rice) of 91 percent, ranking eighth. Both numbers measure graduation within six yearsof enrollment.

Even more telling, 98 percent of all scholarship athletes who complete their eligibility at Rice receive their degrees, a number that ranks fifth among NCAA Division 1-A institutions. (Numbers based on incoming classes of freshmen from 1991-92 through 2000-01 classes).

In April 2008, 8 of Rice’s 16 teams received the NCAA Public Recognition Award for having an Academic Progress Rate (APR) in the top 10 percent for their sport. This is the second highest percentage for any school in Division 1-A and 14th highest in all of Division 1. (The APR is a term-by-term measure of eligibility, retention and graduation for student-athletes).

In their third year in Conference USA (2007-08), 192 Owls were named to the Commissioner’s Honor Roll with a 3.0 cumulative GPA, representing more than half of Rice’s total number of student-athletes. Twenty-four Owls were honored with the C-USA Academic Medal for carrying a 3.75 or better GPA, while three Owls were named the C-USA Scolar-Athletes of the Year for their specific sports. Additionally, during the 2007-08 academic year, 13 out of 16 Rice teams had a better than 3.0 GPA.

Finally, since 1952, Rice student-athletes have received 76 CoSIDA Academic All-America awards, with 29 being received since 2001.

CoSIDA Academic All-America

Player of the Year

2004 Adam Davis

CoSIDA Academic All-America

1991 Jay Thompson (third team)

2002 Adam Davis (second team)

2003 Adam Davis (first team)


2004 Ben Wiggins (third team)


U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches

Association All Academic Team Award

2003 #1 Nationally

2005 #15 Nationally

2008 #24 Nationally


R Academic Excellence and Athletics

NCAA Public Recognition AwardsC-USA recipientsSchool (Recognized/Total Teams) Pct.Rice (8/16) .500Tulane (1/8) .125UTEP (1/15) .067SMU (1/17) .059ECU (1/19) .053All other C-USA schools have zero teams in APR top 10 percent.

Other Texas D1 SchoolsStephen F. Austin State (1/15) .067Texas A&M (1/19) .053Texas (1/20) .050

Bowl Subdivision (38% or better)Navy (12/23) .522Rice (8/16) .500Duke (12/26) .462Notre Dame (11/26) .423Northwestern (8/19) .421

Graduation Rates By SportThe Federal Graduation Rate (Fed Rate) only includes freshmen entering in the fall semester and receiving athletically-related aid. The Fed Rate also does not include transfers in, and students who transfer out count as non-graduates. The Graduation Success Rate (GSR) was first published in 2005-06 and is based on the Fed Rate. The GSR, though, accounts for student-athletes who enroll at mid-year and who transfer into the institution while

discounting those who leave in good standing. (Numbers below are the four-year rates of entering classes from 1997-98 to 2000-01).

* The Rice soccer program began in 2001 and data is not yet available.

Men’s Sports GSR Fed RateBaseball 93 47Basketball 85 62CC/Track 88 75Football 85 78Golf 100 63Tennis 100 91

Women’s Sports GSR Fed RateBasketball 100 100CC/Track 100 92Soccer 100 –Swimming 100 90Tennis 100 88Volleyball 90 90


R Rice University and the City of Houston

Kiplinger’s 2008 Best Citiesto Live, Work, and Play

1. Houston, Texas 2. Raleigh, North Carolina

3. Omaha, Nebraska4. Boise, Idaho

5. Colorado Springs, Colorado

Houston is home to NASA and the Johnson Space Center. JSC is the training facility for all of America’s astronauts and the control point for U.S. human space flight activities, with primary responsibilities in research, design, development, testing and operations of the Space Shuttle and Space Station programs. Space Center Houston is the designated visitor center for JSC and features interactive exhibits to educate and entertain visitors. This theme park for space fans features actual spacecraft, flight simulators, and a guided tram tour of NASA, Mission Control, and Rocket Park, home of the Saturn V rocket (above).

Rice students benefit from the best of both worlds—a traditional college campus and a diverse, dynamic metropolis. Experiencing Houston, the nation’s fourth largest city, enriches their time at Rice beyond your expectations. With its lively professional, cultural and recreational scenes, Houston offers students a wealth of resources and opportunities to enjoy academic, career-related and extracurricular activities outside the campus.

Just across Main Street from the Rice campus is the Texas Medical Center, the nation’s largest medical center, world renowned for excellent care and research. Proximity to NASA’s Johnson Space Center gives Rice scientists and students immediate access to Hubble Space Telescope images and the resources of space exploration. The city and the region are also home to many science and technology companies that interact with Rice researchers on a multitude of important projects. And, lest you think there is only room in Houston for the technically minded, the city also is home to outstanding ballet, symphony, grand opera and theater companies. Houston’s Museum District boasts 200–plus museums and art galleries, and most are within an easy walk of the Rice campus.

Not only is the city of Houston a great college sports town, with three NCAA Division I

universities, but it is also home to five major league sport franchises. Houston’s first major professional crown came in 1994, when the Houston Rockets won the NBA world championship. The team repeated in 1995. The Houston Astros won National League Central Division titles in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2001, hosted the 2004 MLB All-Star game and won the 2005 National League pennant to earn their first World Series appearance. The Houston Comets claimed the first four WNBA championships in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000. Houston’s Major League Soccer team, the Dynamo, have won the MLS Cup in 2006 and 2007. In October 1999, Houston was awarded the NFL’s 32nd franchise, and the Houston Texans began play in fall 2002 in Reliant Stadium, which is adjacent to the Astrodome. The stadium hosted Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004 and will host the 2011 NCAA Final Four.

Rice is in a perfect location, near the heart of Houston. Our self-contained campus, with more than 4,000 trees shading 285 acres, is one of the most beautiful spots in the city. Rice’s Mediterranean themed architecture reflects both the university’s cohesive sense of community and the city’s rich ethnic and cultural diversity.

With the arrival of the Houston METRORail in 2004, access from the Rice campus to downtown, the Museum District or Reliant Park, home of the Houston Texans and the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, is easy and convenient.

The Texas Medical CenterMiracles happen daily at the Texas Medical Center, the world’s largest healthcare complex that sits opposite Rice University along Main Street. The 42+ non-profit institutions include M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Memorial Hermann Hospital and Texas Children’s Hospital.

Texas Medical Center (TMC) with 46 member institutions is the largest medical complex in the world. The complex includes 13 renowned hospitals and two specialty institutions, two medical schools, four nursing schools and schools of dentistry, public health, pharmacy and virtually all health-related careers.

The Museum DistrictImmediately northeast of the Rice campus is Houston’s Museum District, the fourth-largest museum district in the country, comprised of 15 museums. Museums of note include the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; the Contemporary Arts Museum; the Children’s Museum; the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences; the Jung Center; the Holocaust Museum Houston; Lawndale Art Center; the Byzantine Fresco Chapel; the Museum of Health & Medical Science; the Menil Collection; and the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft.


RRice University and the City of Houston

Fast Facts on Houston• Houston is the fourth-largest city in the U.S.• There are 2.2 million city residents and 5.5 million in the greater metropolitan region.• Houston is home to more than 5,000 restaurants, ranging from award-winning, upscale eateries to memorable deli shops.• Houston has a theater district second only to New York City, with its concentration of 14,000 seats in one geographic area.• Houston has a unique Museum Districtoffering a range of museums, galleries, art and cul-tural institutions.• More than 90 languages are spoken in Houston.• Houston has a young population: 30 percent of Houstonians are 24 years old or younger, and 34 percent are aged 25-44. The median age is 30.9.

Houston’s Average TemperaturesMonth • Hi/Lo (˚F)January • 62/42February • 65/45

March • 72/52April • 79/60May • 84/66June • 89/72July • 92/74

August • 92/74September • 88/71

October • 81/61November • 72/52December • 64/45

Hermann ParkHermann Park, presented to the City of Houston by George Hermann in 1914, is Houston’s most historically significant public green space and is on the eastern edge of the Rice campus. The park rests on 401 acres in the heart of the Museum District. Things to see within the park include the Houston Zoo, Miller Outdoor Theater, Houston Garden Center, Japanese Garden, a public golf course, the equestrian statue of General Sam Houston and the Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Survivors’ Plaza.

Neighborhoods and Rice VillageRice University lies in the center of University Place, a collection of established civic clubs that form one large neighborhood. Rice and University Place are flanked by the city of West University Place, which is an independent jurisdiction surrounded by the city of Houston and Rice Village. The Rice Village, a 16-block area two blocks west of campus, is an eclectic mix of more than 450 stores and restaurants.

Reliant StadiuimReliant Stadium, the world’s first retractable-roofed NFL stadium, has 71,500 seats and is home to the Houston Texans and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™.

Kemah BoardwalkThe Kemah Boardwalk, on Galveston Bay, is a spectacular waterfront destination with themed restaurants, the Boardwalk Inn hotel, amusement rides, dancing fountains, mid-way games and retail shops.

Toyota CenterThe Toyota Center in downtown Houston is just a few minutes from the Rice campus and is home to the NBA’s Houston Rockets and

the Aeros of the International Hockey League. It also plays hosts to the best entertainment acts in the industry. From Beyonce to Bruce Springsteen to Dane Cook, to Van Halen all of the major entertainers make Houston a regular tour stop. The 750,000-square-foot arena offers 18,300 seats for basketball, 17,800 for hockey and up to 19,000 for concerts.


R Rice Sports Medicine

Rice’s sports medicine program is housed in

the spacious and state-of-the-art Allen W.

Eggert Center for Sports Medicine in Tudor

Fieldhouse.

Under the direction of assistant athletic director

Clint Haggard and athletic trainers Mindy

Borman, Cathleen Godwin, Donna Papangellin,

Nathan Peck, Layne Schramm, Dawn Stuckey,

Joe Vargas and Richie Valdes. Rice student-

athletes receive the very best of care in both

the prevention and rehabilitation of injuries.

There are also spacious facilities at Rice

Stadium for the full time athletic training staff,

team doctors and student athletic trainers.

Rice team physicians, a group which includes

some of the top surgeons and diagnosticians in

the country, make excellent use of the world-

class facilities in the Texas Medical Center,

directly across South Main from the Rice

campus. Two former Rice student-athletes, Dr.

Thomas Clanton and Dr. Leland Winston, share

duties as the Owls‚ primary team physicians.

Rice athletes also receive the best of care

from the staff of student athletic trainers,

many of whom go on to professional careers

in the health care field as physicians, physical

therapists and athletic trainers.

Former Rice Student-Trainersin the Medical Profession

Donna Arrington - Athletic Trainer

T.J. Bath - Athletic Trainer

Ann Blaine - DDS

Krissy Boulanger - MD

Charles Chenault - Athletic Trainer

Kevin Coupe - MD/Rice team physician

Owen Dry - MD

Allen Eggert - Athletic Trainer

Mark Escott - MD

Kristi Flowers - Physical therapy school

Lynanne Foster - MD/Rice team physician

Dan Hawkins - Athletic Trainer

Mary Kamel - Medical school

Robert Maniscalco - Athletic Trainer

Dan Martin - MD

Dan O’Connor - Physical Therapist

Jimmy Roton, Jr. - Athletic Trainer

Wade Smith - Athletic Trainer

Lorna Little Strong - Athletic Trainer

Marian Von-Maszewski - MD

Nancy Jenkins-Von Minden - MD

Bob Weisberg - Ph.D. Public Health

Stuart Wetzel - MD

Kim Wright - Physical therapist

27

TENNIS STAFF

28

Elizabeth Schmidt returns to Rice after being named the program’s third head coach on August 14, 2008. Schmidt is in her first season as a head coach after spending the last four years as an assistant coach at Notre Dame and Rice.

Notre Dame compiled a 50-13 record over the 2007 and 2008 seasons, including a program-best 28-4 mark and NCAA quarterfinal appearance in 2007. The Fighting Irish upended 13 Top-25 programs and ended the season with the No. 7 ranking. In 2008, the Fighting Irish went 22-9 and once again advanced to the NCAA Tournament and its recruiting class received a No. 3 ranking from TennisRecruiting.net.

Schmidt was instrumental in Rice’s historic 2005-06 season, as the Owls reeled off three consecutive upsets to win the Conference USA tournament for the program’s first-ever league championship. Rice became the first No. 7 seed ever to reach the title match of the C-USA tournament and knocked off top-seeded SMU, ending the Mustangs’ 12-match winning streak. That earned Rice its first trip to the NCAA Championship since 1998, and the Owls finished 13-13 overall and ranked 66th in the nation (after peaking at 51st).

Schmidt’s first season at Rice saw the Owls go 16-9 - posting the most wins for Rice since 1997 - and crack the national top 30 before reaching the Western Athletic Conference tournament final for the first time ever and finishing ranked 51st.

Rice had several individual standouts during Schmidt’s tenure - with four players earning all-conference accolades last season - but none more so than Blair DiSesa, who was the Conference USA Player of the Year and an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American in her final campaign, as well as the first Rice player since 1986 to earn an invitation to the NCAA Singles Championship. She was ranked as high as 31st in the nation.

Schmidt was a standout player at UCLA, earning All-America accolades in doubles in 1996-97 and finishing that season ranked 16th in the nation in partnered play and 38th in singles. She was a two-time participant in the NCAA Singles Championship and an all-Pac-10 selection in 1997, 1998 and 1999.

Schmidt helped the Bruins to a pair of second-place finishes in the Pac-10 - matching the best results in program history - and trips to the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament in 1997 and 2000.

Three times a Pac-10 All-Academic honoree, she graduated with honors in 2000 with a degree

in sociology. She was the 2000 women’s recipient of the Pac-10 Postgraduate Scholarship, awarded annually to the league’s top male and female student-athletes. Schmidt was twice honored with the ITA’s Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award and won the regional Cissie Leary Sportsmanship Award in 1999. She also completed her master’s degree in public administration from the University of Houston in 2006.

Schmidt spent four years playing professionally, peaking at 137th in the WTA world doubles rankings (in 2003) and 380th in singles (in ‘02). She earned her only career title in the doubles draw of the ITF event in Monterrey, Mexico, in 2001, but also reached six other finals in doubles and advanced to the doubles semifinals a total of 23 times in her career. In 2003, she played in the doubles qualifying at The Championships Wimbledon.

Born Aug. 23, 1977, Schmidt is a native of Austin, Texas, and 1996 graduate of Westlake High School. She was a three-time state singles champion and a Prince All-American during her prep career, helping Westlake to the 1992 team state title. She compiled high school records of 120-6 in singles and 62-4 in doubles and was as high as seventh in doubles and 26th in singles in the USTA national rankings.

HEAD COACHFIRST YEAR AT RICE

ELIZABETH SCHMIDT

RICE OWLS


THE SCHMIDT FILE Hometown: Austin, Texas

Coaching Experience:Rice - Head Coach (2008-present)Notre Dame - Assistant Coach (2006-2008)Rice - Assistant Coach (2004-2006)

Professional Experience:WTA Tour (2000-2003)

Alma Mater:UCLA (B.A., 2000)Houston (M.A. 2006)

Honors:All-Pac 10 (1997, 1998, 1999)All-Pac 10 Academic (1998, 1999, 2000)ITA All-America (1997)Pac-10 Postgraduate Scholarship (2000)Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award (1999, 2000)

29

Kristina Babcock (formerly Kraszewski) en-ters her third season as an assistant coach after being named a three-time All-American during her playing career at the University of Washington. Rice posted a 17-5 record during the 2007-08 season, including its second straight Confer-ence USA Championship semifinal appear-ance. Julie Chao and Dominique Karas each earned first-team all-conference honors. Babcock’s inaugural season at Rice saw the Owls register an 8-15 record, but make a run to the C-USA championship semifinals. Chao earned C-USA Player of the Year honors, while Tiffany Lee tallied an All-Conference USA Third-Team selection. Before entering coaching, Babcock compet-ed on the WTA Tour, playing in a pair of United States Opens in 2000 and 2001. She ranked as high as No. 229 in the world in singles, winning three singles tournaments and two in doubles during her career. After retiring from the pro ranks in 2002, she taught tennis lessons in Seattle before accept-ing a coaching position at Elite TNT Tennis Academy in Montgomery, Texas, in Summer 2005. As a player at Washington, Babcock racked up All-American singles honors in 1998, 2000 and 2001. She qualified for the NCAA individual singles championships all four seasons and two times in doubles. Babcock finished her career as UW’s all-time leader in singles victories, posting an 111-45 record. In addition to her singles play, Babcock also compiled 73 doubles wins, which ranked fifth for the Huskies on their all-time list.

Along with her All-America honors, Babcock was a four-time All-Pac 10 performer. She was named the ITA Northwest Region Rookie of the Year as a freshman and advanced to the quarter-finals of the NCAA championships in 1998. Babcock capped her career leading the

Huskies to their first quarterfinal finish in the 2001 NCAA team championship. She also was a three-time Pac-10 All-Academic Team member and graduated in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. She married Nick Babcock on Aug. 16, 2008.

ASSISTANT COACHTHIRD YEAR AT RICE

KRISTINA BABCOCK

RICE OWLS


30

Kristy Lopbries is in her second season at Rice as Coordinator of Strength and Conditioning for the Owls’ women’s tennis, volleyball and soccer programs. After graduating from Texas State in 2006 with a bachelor’s of science degree in Exercise Sports Science, Lopbries accepted an internship with the Texas A&M strength and conditioning staff. She worked with the Ag-gies’ softball, volleyball, tennis and women’s basketball programs. Lopbries has received USA Weightlifting’s Sport Performance Coach Certification.

Layne Schramm enters his second season at Rice as the athletic trainer for both tennis programs. Schramm graduated from Texas in December 2006 after serving as a student athletic trainer. Before coming to Rice, he also completed an internship with the Austin Wranglers of the Arena Football League (AFL) during the 2007 season.

Ken Mize enters his 15th season as the stringer for both of Rice’s tennis programs. He also assists with the program’s tennis camps. Mize is an accomplished tennis player and is currently ranked No. 2 in the state of Texas and No. 11 nationally in Men’s 50 Singles by the USTA. He has served a full time teacher for HISD for the last 27 years.

RICE OWLS


LAYNESCHRAMM

Athletic TrainerSecond Year at Rice

KENMIZE

Program Stringer15th Year at Rice

KRISTILOPBRIES

Strength & Conditioning CoachSecond Year at Rice

31

PLAYERS

RICE OWLS


EMILYBRAID

Senior-3L w 5-9Raleigh, N.C. (Wakefield HS)

HONORS AT RICE2005-06 & 2006-07 Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll; 2006 & 2007 C-USA Academic Medalist; 2006, 2007 & 2008 ITA Scholar Athlete.

2008 FALL (SENIOR) Posted a 5-2 singles record during the fall … went 3-0 at the Holi-day Inn Astrodome Classic to take the Flight 7 title (Oct. 19) … Split a pair of matches at the Midland Invitational (Oct. 10) … recorded a 2-1 record at the Wilson ITA Southwest Regional Championships (Oct. 24-25) … paired with Varsha Shiva-Shankar for a 1-1 record at the Wilson ITA Southwest Regional Championships.

2007-08 SEASON (JUNIOR) Compiled a 12-7 singles record, including a 10-5 mark from the No. 5 spot … won her last four singles matches, including her only ap-pearance at the No. 4 position … clinched the Owls’ 4-3 victory over Houston at the Conference USA Championship with a three-set victory over Vicky Simpson (April 18) … also provided the clincher in the Owls’ first-ever sweep of SMU with a straight-set win over Lindsay Norman … helped the Owls to a 4-3 comeback victory over Alabama (Feb. 10) with a three-set win over Bianca Svensson … posted a straight-sets win over Mississippi State’s Daniela Juskova (Feb. 8) … went 14-6 in doubles play … posted a 14-5 record with Varsha Shiva-Shankar, all from the No. 3 position … the duo won 12 of its last 13 decisions … spent the 2007 fall semester studying abroad in Spain.

2006-07 SEASON (SOPHOMORE) Tallied a 9-13 record during the dual match season mostly seeing action at the No. 6 spot … turned in an impressive 7-1 record in three-set matches … notched a three-set comeback victory against Auburn’s Heather Bybee (Feb. 11) … won six of her final nine deci-sions (March 16-April 21) … clinched both upset victories at the C-USA Championships (April 19-20) … knocked off Houston’s Neila Starratt in a 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 triumph in the opening round … provided a 6-0, 4-6, 6-4 win in the quarterfinals against Georgiana Mara of No. 52 SMU (April 20) … played doubles at the No. 3 position with five different partners … notched an 8-6 win with Christine Dao against No. 48 Oklahoma State (Feb. 4) … opened the C-USA Championship turning in a dominant 8-1 victory with Dao against Houston (April 19) ... went 8-8 in singles during fall season ... advanced to the consola-tion semifinals of her flight at the Baylor Invitational ... closed out the

fall by winning four of her final six matches, including twice rallying from a set back for wins at the Harvard Invitational.

2005-06 SEASON (FRESHMAN) Walk-on freshman finished the year with an 11-11 mark after going 7-8 in the No. 6 singles hole ... notched a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory against Tulsa’s Agostina Santoro to clinch the Owls’ 4-3 victory ... posted a 4-3 fall record in singles in her first semester as an Owl ... partnered with Amy Cao in doubles play.

HIGH SCHOOL/JUNIORS 2005 graduate of Wakefield High School in Raleigh, N.C ... named 2003 Player of the Year by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram after leading Grapevine High School to the district title.

PERSONAL Daughter of Derek and Constance Braid ... born on June 16, 1987 ... has three brothers ... majoring in political science and English ... member of Hanszen College.

33

RICE OWLS


JULIECHAO

Junior-2L w 5-6San Diego, Calif. (Westview HS)

HONORS AT RICE2007 & 2008 All-Conference USA First Team; 2007 C-USA Freshman of the Year; 2008 Conference USA All-Academic Team; 2006-07 C-USA Commis-sioner’s Honor Roll; 2007 & 2008 ITA Scholar Athlete

2008 FALL (JUNIOR)Compiled a 6-5 singles record during the fall … dropped her opening-round match at the Riviera/ITA Women’s All American Championship Pre-Quali-fying … won her first two matches before falling in the round of 16 at the Midland Invitational (Oct. 12) … Posted a pair of wins before falling in the Flight 1 final at the Holiday Inn Astrodome Rice Classic (Oct. 19) … posted a 2-2 mark at the Wilson ITA Southwest Regional Championships (Oct. 24-26) … teamed with Ana Guzman to record a 3-1 record at the Wilson ITA Southwest Regional Championships (Oct. 24-26).

2007-08 SEASON (SOPHOMORE)Tallied a 15-7 singles record, all from the No. 1 position … helped lead the Owls to a 4-3 victory over Houston in the Conference USA Championships with a straight-set win over Lucy Forward (April 18) … the victory was her fifth straight and eighth in her last nine matches … led the Owls to its first-ever sweep of SMU with a straight-set victory over 88th-ranked Natalia Bubien (April 5) … clinched the Owls’ 4-3 victory over Alabama with an epic three-game decision over Tiffany Welcher (Feb. 10), 4-6, 7-6, 7-6 (7-1) … also clinched the Owls’ win over Lamar (Jan. 27) … teamed with Domi-nique Karas to record a 13-7 doubles record, all from the No. 1 position … won seven of 10 singles matches during the fall season … named C-USA Player of the Month (September) after making the finals of the top flight at the 27th Annual Rice Classic (Sept. 21-23) dropping only 13 games over three victories … picked up a pair of wins over opponents from Kentucky and Duke at the Riveria/ITA All-American Pre Qualifying … made Wilson/ITA Southwest Regional Championships (Oct. 19-22) Round of 32 … made doubles semifinals of top flight at the 27th Annual Rice Classic paired with Tiffany Lee … turned in a run to the Round of 16 with Dominique Karas at the ITA Southwest Regionals before falling to No. 6 seeded pair of Dubova/Hedberg from LSU. 2006-07 SEASON (FRESHMAN)Went 11-10 playing mostly at the No. 1 singles position en route to C-USA Freshman of the Year honors … started the season ranked No. 26 in ITA Southwest region … notched a 5-7, 6-3, 1-0 (5) against Kindsay Grimes of No. 53 Tulsa (Feb. 3) … upset No. 43 ranked Darla Petrovic of No. 43 North Carolina State (Feb. 16) in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 … nearly upset No. 2 ranked Megan Falcon of No. 47 LSU (Feb. 17) before falling in a super tiebreaker … tallied wins against opponents from No. 70 San Diego (Feb. 22) and No. 52 San Diego State (Feb. 24) … defeated Sarah Foster of No. 14 Texas A&M (March 31) 6-4, 6-3 … picked up a three-set win over Natalia Bubien 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 in Rice’s 4-3 quarterfinal upset over No. 52 SMU (April 20) at the C-USA Championships … teamed mostly with Tiffany Lee at No. 1 doubles … won three straight to open dual match season (Jan. 20-28), including an

8-3 triumph over No. 6 Baylor (Jan. 20) top pair … dropped a hard-fought tiebreaker decision against No. 42 ranked Tiffany Clifford and Sarah Foster of No. 14 Texas A&M (March 31) … won 9-8 over Leila Salek and Loli Gomez of Houston (April 19) at the C-USA Championships ... earned a preseason ITA Southwest region ranking of No. 26 after posting an 8-10 fall singles mark ... teamed with Tiffany Lee for a 5-5 doubles record as the pair advanced to the Round of 16 at the ITA Southwest Regionals ... concluded fall season with a No. 10 regional doubles ranking with Lee.

HIGH SCHOOL/JUNIORS2006 graduate of Westview High School in San Diego, Calif ... ranked among the Top 40 seniors in the country and was listed as a five-star recruit by TennisRecruiting.net ... ranked in the Top 25 USTA Girls 16 standings ... Player of the Year for San Diego in 2004 ... received the Southern Califor-nia Sportsmanship Award in 2002 ... member of the California Scholastic Federation and LEO Club ... also recruited by Boston College, Purdue, Cal Poly, Colorado, and UCLA.

PERSONALDaughter Derchang and Ting Chao ... born on March 31, 1988 ... has two brothers and one sister ... majoring in economics ... member of Will Rice College.

RICE OWLS


JESSICAJACKSON

Sophomore-HS w 5-7Solihull, England (King Edwards HS)

2008 FALL (SOPHOMORE)Did not compete for the Owls during the fall season.

2007-08 SEASON (FRESHMAN) Jackson joined the squad in between semesters and did not see action during her first year.

HIGH SCHOOL/JUNIORS Coached by James Rose and Eric Doctermine at the Sutton Tennis Academy in London.

PERSONAL Daughter of Peter and Judith Jackson … born on June 26, 1989 … major is undecided … member of Jones College.

35

RICE OWLS


REBECCALIN

Junior-2L w 5-3San Diego, Calif. (Torrey Pines HS)

HONORS AT RICE2006-07 C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll; 2007 ITA Scholar Athlete

2008 FALL (JUNIOR)Compiled a 5-4 singles mark during the fall … split a pair of matches at the Midland Invitational (Oct. 10) … went 3-0 to take the Flight 4 title at the Holiday Inn Astrodome Rice Classic (Oct. 17-19) … went 1-3 at the Wilson ITA Southwest Regional Championships (Oct. 24-26) … teamed with Alex Rasch for a 2-1 record at the Wilson ITA Southwest Regional Championships (Oct. 24-26).

2007-08 SEASON (SOPHOMORE) Posted a 14-7 singles record, including a 14-6 mark from the No. 4 position … contributed to the Owls’ first-ever sweep of SMU with a hard-fought three-set win over Nicole Briceno (April 5) … the win was her ninth-straight victory … did not drop a game to Sumaire Muller in the Owls’ win over Texas State (March 22) … clinched the Owls’ 4-3 win over North Texas with a three-set victory over Rachel Wilhelm (Jan. 26) … teamed with Tiffany Lee for a 12-8 doubles record, all from the No. 2 position … the pair combined to win their last six matches … compiled a 4-8 singles record during the fall season … victories came in consolation play at the 27th Annual Rice Classic (Sept. 21-23), San Diego State Fall Classic (Sept. 28-30) and Wilson/ITA Southwest Regional Championships (Oct. 19-22) … saw limited doubles action and notched a pair of doubles wins with Varsha Shiva-Shankar for a run to the Round of 16 at the Wilson/ITA Southwest Regional Championships before falling to No. 1 seed Harkins/Sydorska of TCU.

2006-07 SEASON (FRESHMAN) Turned in a 10-9 singles record with most of her decisions coming at the No. 5 position … pieced together four consecutive wins (Jan. 27-Feb. 4), including back-to-back three-set road wins against op-ponents from No. 53 Tulsa (Feb. 3) and No. 48 Oklahoma State (Feb. 4) … also tallied victories against No. 70 San Diego (Feb. 22) and No. 26 TCU (March 3) … went 8-9 with Dominique Karas at No. 2 doubles … won three of four decisions against ranked foes (Feb. 4-16), including tight victories against No. 48 Oklahoma State (Feb. 4) and No. 43 North Carolina State (Feb. 16) … two of her three matches at C-USA Championships (April 19-21) were unfinished tied or with the lead ... earned an ITA Southwest Region preseason ranking of No. 30 after leading the Owls with a 9-7 fall singles re-cord ... after a three-set loss to open the fall, rebounded to win

her next six in straight-sets ... had a 5-9 doubles record with three different partners.

HIGH SCHOOL 2006 graduate of Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, Calif. ... four-year letterwinner for head coach Anne Meigs and the Falcons ... ranked among the Top 40 seniors in the country and was listed as a five-star recruit by TennisRecruiting.net ... led team to undefeated records all four years ... won the CIF Team Championships and finished second at nationals ... CIF individual champion as both a sophomore and junior ... named San Diego Union-Tribune academic captain for tennis.

PERSONAL Daughter of Shaw and Mei Lin ... born on Dec. 29, 1987 ... has one brother ... major is undecided ... member of Hanszen College.

RICE OWLS


VARSHASHIVA-SHANKAR

Sophomore-1L w 5-11Bangalore, India (National Institute of Open Schooling

2008 FALL (SOPHOMORE)Posted a 7-3 singles record during the fall … reached the conso-lation quarterfinals with a 2-1 record at the Midland Invitational (Oct. 10-12) … won the Holiday Inn Astrodome Rice Classic Flight 6 title with a perfect 3-0 run (Oct. 17-19) … tallied a 2-2 record at the Wilson ITA Southwest Regional Championships (Oct. 24-26) … teamed with Emily Braid to split a pair of doubles matches at the Wilson ITA Southwest Regional Championships (Oct. 24-26).

2007-08 SEASON (FRESHMAN)Recorded a 12-4 singles record during the spring, including a 12-3 mark from the No. 6 spot … won her last five matches … downed Marshall’s Jessica Keener in a third-set tiebreaker to tie the over-all match 3-3 in the second round of the Conference USA Cham-pionships (April 19) … defeated Houston’s Jordan Combs in three sets in the Owls’ 4-3 victory in the first round of the Conference USA Championships (April 18) … did not lose a game to Sarah Costa in the Owls’ first-ever sweep of SMU (April 5) … recorded another 6-0, 6-0 win over Northwestern State’s Marine Neveu (Feb. 18) … downed Alabama’s Andrea Brenes in the Owls’ 4-3 victory (Feb. 10) … posted a 14-6 doubles record, teaming with Emily Braid for a 14-5 mark from the No. 3 position … the pair combined to win 12 of their last 13 matches … compiled a 6-6 singles record during the fall season … won a pair of consolation matches at the 27th Annual Rice Classic (Sept. 21-23) … advanced to the Flight 2 singles semifinals of the San Diego State Fall Classic (Sept. 28-30) … lost a hard-fought three-set decision to No. 4 seed Anna Sy-dorska of TCU in opening round of Wilson/ITA Southwest Regional Championships (Oct. 19-22) … won a pair of consolation doubles decisions with Dominique Karas at San Diego State Fall Classic … added a pair of doubles wins with Rebecca Lin for a run to the Round of 16 at the Wilson/ITA Southwest Regional Championships before falling to No. 1 seed Harkins/Sydorska of TCU.

HIGH SCHOOL/JUNIORS 2007 Graduate of National Institute of Open Schooling in Banga-lore … combined ITF Junior ranking of 589 … ranked in the Top 10 of all India Juniors.

PERSONAL Daughter of C.R. Shiva Shankar and Chandra Kala … born on Feb. 9, 1987 … has one older brother, C.S. Santhosh … major in eco-nomics and sport management … member of Hanszen College.

37

RICE OWLS


ANAGUZMAN

Freshman-HS w 5-11Guatemala City, GuatemalaUniv. of Miami (Fla.) Online

2008 FALL (FRESHMAN)Recorded a 4-5 singles record during the fall ... won her opening-round match at the Midland Invitational before falling to Nebraska’s fifth-seeded Madeleine Gilbert in a third-set super tiebreaker ... went 1-2 at the Holiday Inn Astrodome Rice Classic (Oct. 17-19) ... tallied a 2-2 record at the Wilson ITA Southwest Regional Championships (Oct. 24-26) ... teamed with Julie Chao for a 3-1 doubles record at the Wilson ITA Southwest Regional Championships (Oct. 24-26).

HIGH SCHOOL/JUNIORS Held the No. 1 ranking in Guatemala and Central America on vari-ous occasions throughout her junior career ... reached three ITF Tournament singles finals and won 12 ITF Tournament doubles titles in countries all across the world ... represented Guatemala at the 2007 Fed Cup in Uruguay and 2008 Fed Cup in Bolivia.

PERSONAL Daughter of Jorge Guzman and Lilyan Benecke ... born on June 7, 1989 ... intends to major in economics ... also recruited by George-town, Penn, Wisconsin, DePaul and Boston College ... member of Wiess College.

REBEKKAHÄNLE

Freshman-RS w 5-11Ochsenhausen, GermanyGymasium Ochsenhausen

2008 FALL (REDSHIRT FRESHMAN)Posted a 2-2 singles mark during the fall … went 2-1 at the Holiday Inn Astrodome Rice Classic … lost her opening-round match at the Wilson ITA Southwest Regional Championships.

2007-08 SEASON (FRESHMAN) Redshirted during the 2007-08 season.

HIGH SCHOOL/JUNIORS Recorded a national junior ranking as high as No. 6 and a national women ranking as high as No. 52 … played against professional Maria Sharapova in 2000 at ETA Tournament in Baden-Baden … champion of the 2003 German Masters Series tournament in Es-slingen … regional state champion U21 in 2003 … semifinalist at the regional women’s indoor championships in 2004.

PERSONAL Daughter of Mandred and Brigitte Hänle … born on Nov. 28, 1986 … chose Rice over San Diego State, Nebraska, Tennessee and Iowa … majoring in mathematical economic analysis and Spanish … member of Martel College.

RICE OWLS


ALEXRASCH

Freshman-HS w 5-7Guatemala City, Guatemala

Bradenton (Fla.) Prep

2008 FALL (FRESHMAN)Recorded a 5-4 singles record during the fall ... went 1-1 in conso-lation matches at the Midland Invitational (Oct. 10-12) ... posted a 2-1 record at the Holiday Inn Astrodome Rice Classic (Oct. 17-19) ... won her first two singles matches at the Wilson ITA Southwest Regional Championships before dropping the next two (Oct. 24-26) ... teamed with Rebecca Lin for a 2-1 doubles record at the Wilson ITA Southwest Regional Championships (Oct. 24-26).

HIGH SCHOOL/JUNIORS Played No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles for Suzane Hedgecock at Bradenton Prep ... team won 2008 Florida state championship ... won state singles championship as an individual ... trained at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy ... spent summer of 2008 playing in U-21 Open Circuit Tournaments in Germany ... reached the semifinals in an event in Hamburg, while making the quarterfinals in Arusberg and Dusseldorf.

PERSONAL Daughter of Christian and Silvia Rasch ... born on May 9, 1990 ... intends to major in economics ... also recruited by Miami, Tulane, Boston University and Pepperdine ... member of Wiess College.

39

HISTORY

RICE OWLS


Team ResulTs • RecoRd: 17-5, 2-0 c-usa • confeRence usa semifinals date opponent Result date opponent ResultJan. 26 North Texas W, 4-3 Feb. 22 Sam Houston State W, 6-1Jan. 27 Lamar W, 5-2 Feb. 23 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi W, 4-0Jan. 28 Texas-San Antonio W, 7-0 March 2 at #69 Cal State Northridge W, 5-2Feb. 1 at #21 Florida State L, 0-7 March 8 Texas-Pan American W, 6-1Feb. 3 at #75 Jacksonville W, 5-2 March 11 UCF W, 5-2Feb. 6 #27 Texas A&M L, 3-4 March 14 Abilene Christian W, 7-0Feb. 8 at Mississippi State L, 3-4 March 22 Texas State W, 4-0Feb. 10 at Alabama W, 4-3 March 23 Texas-Arlington W, 7-0Feb. 13 Stephen F. Austin W, 7-0 April 5 at SMU W, 7-0Feb. 17 at #26 Texas L, 2-5 April 18 *vs. Houston W, 4-3Feb. 18 Northwestern State W, 6-1 April 19 *at #50 Marshall L, 3-4

Home matches are in bold and played at Jake Hess Stadium; (*) Conference USA Match; (^) C-USA Championship (Huntington, W.Va.).

singles ResulTsPlayer overall Tournament dual no.1 no.2 no.3 no.4 no. 5 no. 6 nationally Ranked last 10Emily Braid 12-7 • 12-7 • • • 1-0 10-5 1-2 • 5-3Julie Chao 22-10 7-3 15-7 15-7 • • • • • 1-1 8-2Christine Dao 5-8 4-5 1-3 • • • 1-0 0-3 • • 1-3Dominique Karas 23-11 8-6 15-5 • 10-4 5-1 • • • • 8-1Tiffany Lee 20-15 7-8 13-7 • 3-4 10-3 • • • 0-1 6-2Rebecca Lin 24-18 10-11 14-7 • • 0-1 14-6 • • • 7-2 Varsha Shiva-Shankar 20-10 6-6 14-4 • • • • 0-1 14-3 • 7-1Totals 126-79 42-39 84-40 15-7 13-8 15-5 16-6 10-9 15-5 1-2 •

doubles ResulTsPlayer Overall Tournament Dual No.1 No.2 No.3 Nationally Ranked Last 10Chao/Karas 15-9 2-2 13-7 13-7 • • 0-1 5-5Lee/Lin 12-8 • 12-8 • 12-8 • • 7-3Braid/Shiva-Shankar 14-5 • 14-5 • • 14-5 • 9-1Chao/Lee 3-3 2-3 1-0 1-0 • • • • Lin/Shiva-Shankar 2-2 2-1 0-1 • 0-1 • • •Braid/Dao 0-1 • 0-1 • • 0-1 • • Dao/Lee 0-2 0-2 • • • • • • Dao/Karas 3-1 3-1 • • • • • •Totals 49-31 9-9 40-22 14-7 12-9 14-6 0-1 •

yeaR-by-yeaR ResulTs year Record Pct. conf. Pct. coach year Record Pct. conf. Pct. coach1981-82 25-13 .658 6-3 .667 Paul Blankenship 1995-96 12-10 .545 4-3 .571 Paul Blankenship1982-83 20-3 .870 7-1 .875 Paul Blankenship 1996-97 18-7 .720 5-1 .833 Paul Blankenship1983-84 14-9 .560 3-5 .375 Paul Blankenship 1997-98 14-10 .583 4-2 .667 Paul Blankenship1984-85 13-6 .684 6-2 .750 Paul Blankenship 1998-99 15-6 .714 5-1 .833 Paul Blankenship1985-86 7-12 .368 2-6 .250 Paul Blankenship 1999-00 14-11 .560 1-3 .250 Paul Blankenship1986-87 10-11 .476 1-7 .125 Paul Blankenship 2000-01 10-11 .476 1-4 .200 Paul Blankenship1987-88 9-11 .450 1-7 .125 Paul Blankenship 2001-02 12-16 .429 0-3 .000 Roger White1988-89 13-6 .684 3-5 .375 Paul Blankenship 2002-03 9-14 .391 2-2 .500 Roger White1989-90 17-10 .630 3-5 .375 Paul Blankenship 2003-04 11-12 .478 2-2 .500 Roger White1990-91 14-7 .667 3-5 .375 Paul Blankenship 2004-05 16-9 .640 3-1 .750 Roger White1991-92 12-7 .632 4-3 .571 Paul Blankenship 2005-06 13-13 .500 1-1 .500 Roger White1992-93 12-8 .600 3-4 .429 Paul Blankenship 2006-07 8-15 .348 0-2 .000 Roger White1993-94 14-5 .737 6-1 .857 Paul Blankenship 2007-08 17-5 .773 2-0 1.000 Roger White1994-95 16-6 .727 5-2 .714 Paul Blankenship

2007-08 STATISTICS

41

Opponent W-LAbilene Christian 6-0Air Force 1-0Alabama 3-3Arizona 0-3Arkansas State 1-0Arkansas 8-15Arkansas-Little Rock 1-0Auburn 0-1Baylor 12-5Belmont 1-0Boise State 6-1BYU 1-6BYU-Hawaii 1-0Cal State Fullerton 1-0Cal State Northridge 1-0Chaminade 1-0Clemson 0-2Colorado 1-0Colorado State 1-0Columbia 2-0Cornell 2-0Davidson 1-0Duke 2-0Florida State 5-9Fresno State 0-4Furman 1-0Georgia 0-1Georgia Tech 1-2Harvard 0-1Hawai`i 4-0Hawai`i Pacific 2-0Houston 17-15Houston Baptist 5-0Illinois 1-1Iowa 2-1Jacksonville 1-0Kansas State 2-0Kentucky 0-1Lamar 21-2Long Beach State 1-1Louisiana-Lafayette 11-1Louisiana-Monroe 7-1Louisiana Tech 3-0

Opponent W-LLSU 4-7Marquette 0-1Maryland 1-0Marshall 1-3Memphis 3-0Middle Tennessee State 0-2Minnesota 2-0Mississippi U. for Women 1-0Mississippi 0-1Mississippi State 1-1Missouri 1-0Missouri State 1-0Nevada 1-0New Mexico 4-3New Mexico State 4-0New Orleans 3-0Nicholls State 3-0North Carolina 2-5North Carolina State 2-1North Texas 5-3Northwestern State 3-0Notre Dame 0-1Ohio State 1-0Oklahoma 1-3Oklahoma State 1-7Oral Roberts 1-0Oregon 1-0Pacific 2-0Pennsylvania 0-1Penn State 1-1Pepperdine 1-2Prairie View A&M 1-0Purdue 3-1Rollins 1-3Sacramento State 0-1San Diego 1-0San Diego State 1-5San Jose State 4-0Sam Houston State 15-0SMU 17-20South Alabama 4-3South Carolina 1-1Southeastern Louisiana 2-0

Opponent W-LSouthern Miss 1-0Stanford 0-1Stephen F. Austin 10-0Stetson 1-0Syracuse 0-1TCU 11-22Tennessee 0-1Texas 0-20Texas-Arlington 5-0Texas-Pan American 7-0Texas-Permian Basin 3-0Texas-San Antonio 17-0Texas-Tyler 0-1Texas A&M 11-23Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 7-0Texas State 15-0Texas Tech 16-4Trinity 0-7Tulane 8-8Tulsa 3-4U.S. International 0-1UAB 2-0UCF 2-1UC Irvine 2-1UCLA 0-1UC Santa Barbara 2-1UNLV 0-1USF 0-4UTEP 9-3Utah 4-2Vanderbilt 0-7Virginia Commonwealth 0-1Virginia Tech 2-0Wake Forest 1-0Washington State 2-0Weber State 1-0Western Michigan 1-0Wichita State 3-0William & Mary 0-3Yale 1-0

TOTALS 384-271

RICE OWLS


SERIES RECORDS (SINCE 1980)

RICE OWLS


CAREER SINGLES RECORDSRank PlayeR yeaRs RecoRd Pct.1 Wendy Wood 1982-86 147-36 .8032 Tracie Blumentritt 1979-83 123-36* .7733 Susan Rudd 1980-84 108-52 .6754 Jessica Gagnon 1993-97 95-39 .7095 Blair DiSesa 2003-06 92-59 .6096 Elle Lewis 1997-2000 87-64 .5767 Paula Myslivecek 1993-97 86-51 .6288 Judith Hagedorn 1999-2002 85-67 .5599 Tamara Ray 1981-85 81-51 .61410 Eileen Curreri 1981-85 81-58 .583

CAREER DOubLES RECORDSRank PlayeR yeaRs RecoRd Pct.1 Susan Rudd 1980-84 114-43 .7262 Wendy Wood 1982-86 93-40 .7003 Tracie Blumentritt (*) 1979-83 88-32 .7334 Paula Myslivecek 1993-97 78-39 .6675 Judith Hagedorn 1999-2002 77-49 .611

(*) - Blumentritt’s singles record includes victories from the 1979-80 season. How-ever, her doubles totals do not include official results from the 1979-80 season. Those records are unavailable.

ALL-SOuThWEST CONfERENCE ChAmpIONSyeaR PlayeR(s) event

1984 Susan Rudd & Wendy Wood No. 1 Doubles1985 Wendy Wood No. 1 Singles1985 Allison Culver No. 6 Singles1986 Wendy Wood No. 1 Singles1986 Lori Cronk & Wendy Wood No. 1 Doubles1988 Megan Tanner No. 5 Singles1988 Allison Culver No. 6 Singles1991 Michelle Bramblett No. 4 Singles1994 Abby Daniels No. 4 Singles1994 Jessica Gagnon No. 5 Singles1994 Abby Daniels & Paula Myslivecek No. 1 Doubles1994 Jackie Brown & Antonette Veloso No. 2 Doubles1995 Amber Basica & Vessie Ivanova No. 2 Doubles

ALL-SOuThWEST CONfERENCE hONORSyeaR PlayeR selection

1983 Tracie Blumentritt Singles1984 Susan Rudd Doubles1984 Wendy Wood Doubles1985 Wendy Wood Singles1986 Wendy Wood Singles1992 Antonette Veloso Singles1994 Paula Myslivecek Singles1996 Paula Myslivecek Singles

MYSLIvECEk

WOOd

Rudd

AThLETIC hONORS

43

ALL-WAC SINGLES hONORSyeaR PlayeR selection

1997 Paula Myslivecek Singles1998 Elle Lewis Singles1998 Sarah Borwell Doubles1998 Vessie Ivanova Doubles1999 Elle Lewis Singles2000 Elle Lewis Singles2003 Lauren Archer Singles & Doubles2003 Blair DiSesa Singles & Doubles2004 Lauren Archer Singles2004 Blair DiSesa Singles2004 Karen Chao Doubles2004 Tracie Chong Doubles2005 Blair DiSesa Singles (First Team)2005 Tracie Chong Singles & Doubles (Second Team)2005 Kimberley Patenaude Doubles (Second Team)

ALL-CONfERENCE uSA SINGLES hONORSyeaR PlayeR selection

2006 Blair DiSesa First Team2006 Christine Dao Second Team2006 Medeja Egic Second Team2006 Tiffany Lee Third Team2007 Julie Chao First team2007 Tiffany Lee Third Team2008 Julie Chao First Team2008 Dominique Karas First Team

ALL-CONfERENCE uSA DOubLES hONORSyeaR PlayeRs selection

2006 Julie Chao/Dominique Karas Third Team

SpECIALITy AWARDSyeaR PlayeR selection

1985 Wendy Wood SWC Co-Player of the Year1985 Wendy Wood Junior Fed Cup Team1985 Wendy Wood Maureen Connoly Cup Team1986 Wendy Wood SWC Player of the Year1997 Paula Myslivecek ITA Southwest Region Senior POY2003 Lauren Archer WAC Freshman of the Year2006 Blair DiSesa Conference USA Player of the Year2006 Alanna Rodgers Outstanding Singles Player of C-USA Champ.2007 Julie Chao C-USA Freshman of the Year

ITA NATIONAL SINGLES RANkINGSyeaR PlayeR Ranking

1983 Tracie Blumentritt No. 271984 Wendy Wood No. 33

1985 Wendy Wood No. 181986 Wendy Wood No. 131992 Antonette Veloso No. 711996 Paula Myslivecek No. 982004 Blair DiSesa No. 862005 Blair DiSesa No. 1102006 Blair DiSesa No. 76

ITA NATIONAL DOubLES RANkINGSyeaR PlayeRs Ranking

1985 Wendy Brockman & Wendy Wood No. 371986 Lori Cronk & Wendy Wood No. 241995 Paula Myslivecek & Antonette Veloso No. 331997 Charlotte Feasby & Paula Myslivecek No. 431998 Sarah Borwell & Vessie Ivanova No. 45

ITA ARThuR AShE LEADERShIp/SpORTmANShIp AWARDyeaR PlayeR

2003 Karen Chao2005 Blair DiSesa

ITA CISSIE LEARy SpORTmANShIp AWARDyeaR PlayeR

2004 Karen Chao

bLuMENTRITT

RICE ALL-AmERICANSseason PlayeR

1982 Tracie Blumentritt1982 Susan Rudd1985 Wendy Wood1986 Wendy Wood

LEWIS

dISESa

RICE OWLS


AThLETIC hONORS

RICE OWLS


GTE SWC ALL-ACADEmIC hONOR TEAmyeaR PlayeR

1988 Alice Vodicka1991 Michelle Bramblett1992 Michelle Bramblett1993 Antonette Veloso1994 Antonette Veloso1995 Paula Myslivecek1996 Paula Myslivecek

ALL-SWC SChOLAR AThLETEyeaR PlayeR

1985 Tamara Ray

ALL-WAC ACADEmIC TEAmyeaR PlayeRs

1997 Jessica Gagnon, Justyna Gudzowska & Paula Myslivecek1998 Justyna Gudzowska, Elle Lewis & Jane Trinh1999 Natalie Briaud, Judith Hagedorn & Elle Lewis2000 Natalie Briaud, Charlotte Feasby, Jeri Gonzales, Judith Hagedorn, Elle Lewis & Erin Waters2001 Natalie Briaud, Karen Chao, Jeri Gonzales, Annie Goodrich, Judith Hagedorn & Erin Waters2002 Natalie Briaud, Karen Chao, Jeri Gonzales, Annie Goodrich & Judith Hagedorn2003 Lauren Archer, Blair DiSesa, Karen Chao, Jeri Gonzales & Annie Goodrich2004 Lauren Archer, Karen Chao, Tracie Chong, Blair DiSesa & Andrea Goodrich2005 Tracie Chong, Christine Dao, Blair DiSesa, Dominique Karas & Kimberley Patenaude

WAC SChOLAR AThLETES yeaR PlayeRs

1997 Jessica Gagnon, Justyna Gudzowska, Elle Lewis, Paula Myslivecek & Jane Trinh1998 Justyna Gudzowska, Elle Lewis & Jane Trinh1999 Natalie Briaud, Charlotte Feasby, Justyna Gudzowska, Judith Hagedorn, Elle Lewis, Jennifer Velasco & Kylie Wallis2000 Natalie Briaud, Charlotte Feasby, Jeri Gonzales, Judith Hagedorn, Elle Lewis, Kylie Wallis & Erin Brand2001 Natalie Briaud, Karen Chao, Annie Goodrich, Jeri Gonzales, Judith Hagedorn, Kylie Wallis, Erin Waters2002 Natalie Briaud, Karen Chao, Jeri Gonzales, Annie Goodrich, Judith Hagedorn, Mindy Ko & Kylie Wallis2003 Lauren Archer, Melissa Back, Karen Chao, Blair DiSesa, Jeri Gonzales, Annie Goodrich, Mindy Ko, Stephanie Moat, Natasha Morozova2004 Lauren Archer, Melissa Back, Karen Chao, Tracie Chong, Blair DiSesa & Annie Goodrich2005 Amy Cao, Tracie Chong, Christine Dao, Blair DiSesa, Dominique Karas, Kimberley Patenaude & Cleo Sham

CONfERENCE uSA COmmISSIONER’S hONOR ROLL yeaR PlayeRs

2006 Emily Braid, Amy Cao, Christine Dao, Blair DiSesa, Medeja Egic, Dominique Karas, Melissa Patel, Tiffany Lee, Alanna Rodgers & Cleo Sham2007 Emily Braid, Julie Chao, Blair DiSesa, Medeja Egic, Dominique Karas, Tiffany Lee, Rebecca Lin, Jennifer Pan, Melissa Patel Kimberley Patenaude, Alanna Rodgers & Veronica Sagastegui

CONfERENCE uSA ACADEmIC mEDALIST yeaR PlayeRs

2006 Emily Braid, Blair DiSesa & Alanna Rodgers2007 Emily Braid

CONfERENCE uSA ALL-ACADEmIC TEAm yeaR PlayeRs

2008 Julie Chao

ITA SChOLAR AThLETES yeaR PlayeRs

2002 Judith Hagedorn, Natalie Briaud, Jeri Gonzales & Kylie Wallis2003 Lauren Archer, Karen Chao, Blair DiSesa, Jeri Gonzales, Annie Goodrich & Mindy Ko2004 Lauren Archer, Melissa Back, Karen Chao, Tracie Chong, Blair DiSesa & Annie Goodrich2005 Amy Cao, Tracie Chong, Blair DiSesa, Dominique Karas, Kimberley Patenaude & Cleo Sham2006 Emily Braid, Amy Cao, Tiffany Lee, Dominique Karas, Alanna Rodgers & Kimberley Patenaude2007 Emily Braid, Julie Chao, Tiffany Lee, Rebecca Lin Dominique Karas, Alanna Rodgers & Kimberley Patenaude

gagNON

bRIaud

ITA ALL-ACADEmIC TEAmRice has garnered ITA All-Academic Team honors in 11 of the 13 years since the award’s inception, including the last nine years in a row.

1997 • 1999 • 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008

ACADEmIC hONORS

45

RICE SChOLAR AThLETESyeaR PlayeR(s)1987 Allison Culver1988 Alice Vodicka1989 Megan Tanner1990 Michelle Bramblett1991 Katie Nederveld1992 Katie Nederveld1993 Abby Daniels 1994 Jackie Brown1995 Jackie Brown1996 Jessica Gagnon1997 Jane Trinh1998 Jane Trinh1998 Justyna Gudzowska1999 Justyna Gudzowska2000 Elle Lewis2000 Erin Waters2001 Judith Hagedorn2002 Judith Hagedorn2003 Annie Goodrich2004 Annie Goodrich2005 Blair DiSesa2005 Blair DiSesa2006 Blair DiSesa2007 Dominique Karas DR. hubERT E. bRAy SChOLAR AThLETE AWARDyeaR PlayeR

1997 Jane Trinh1999 Justyna Gudzowska2001 Judith Hagedorn2002 Judith Hagedorn

SummA Cum LAuDEyeaR PlayeR

1999 Justyna Gudzowska

mAGNA Cum LAuDEyeaR PlayeR

1984 Karen Garman1998 Jane Trinh

Cum LAuDEyeaR PlayeR

1986 Karen Neal1988 Rosalind Kermode1997 Kelley Nanney2002 Judith Hagedorn2004 Jeri Gonzales

phI bETA kAppAyeaR PlayeR

1998 Jane Trihn

fRED STANCLIff pOST-GRADuATE SChOLARShIpyeaR PlayeR

1993 Katie Nederveld1998 Jane Trinh1999 Justyna Gudzowska2002 Judith Hagedorn

mARShALL SChOLARShIp RECIpIENTyeaR PlayeR

1998 Justyna Gudzowska

ITA pOST-GRADuATE SChOLARShIpyeaR PlayeR

1985 Tamara Ray1986 Wendy Wood

TfIAW SuSANNA GARRISON pOST-GRADuATE SChOLARShIpyeaR PlayeR

1997 Paula Myslivecek1998 Jane Trinh

ARThuR AShE jR. AWARDyeaR PlayeR

1995 Olga Limon1997 Jane Trinh1998 Jane Trinh

COSIDA ACADEmIC ALL-DISTRICTyeaR PlayeR

1997 Paula Myslivecek2006 Blair DiSesa

COSIDA ACADEmIC ALL-AmERICAyeaR PlayeR

1999 Justyna Gudzowska2006 Blair DiSesa

kAy pEARSON kEATING AWARD WINNERSWith a trophy case filled with about forty tennis and eight golf trophies and still possessing becoming modesty, Kathryn is probably the outstanding girl athlete in intercollegiate competition. Kay started going somewhere about three years ago when she received national ranking in the Girls’ National Tennis Tournament. At present she holds a the National Intercollegiate Women’s Singles and Doubles

Championships and has had the privilege of playing at Forest Hills with both Helen Wills and Helen Jacobs. She has been number one girl tennis champion at Rice for the past three years, and has won three times the Southern branch of the A.A.U. Nice going, Kay. - (Courtesy: The 1935 Campanile)Year PlaYer(s)1978-79 Nina Springer1979-80 Tracie Blumentritt1980-81 Tracie Blumentritt1981-82 Susan Rudd1982-83 Tracie Blumentritt1983-84 Wendy Wood1984-85 Wendy Wood1985-86 Wendy Wood1986-87 Alice Vodicka1987-88 Emily Cates1988-89 Elizabeth Sulzberger1989-90 Candy Diepraam1990-91 Michelle Bramblett1991-92 Antonette Veloso1992-93 Jackie Brown & Antonette Veloso1993-94 Jackie Brown1994-95 Olga Limon1995-96 Jessica Gagnon & Paula Myslivecek1996-97 Jessica Gagnon & Paula Myslivecek1997-98 Elle Lewis1998-99 Justyna Gudzowska1999-2000 Charlotte Feasby2000-01 Judith Hagedorn2001-02 Judith Hagedorn2002-03 Karen Chao2003-04 Blair DiSesa2004-05 Dominique Karas2005-06 Blair DiSesa2006-07 Dominique Karas2007-08 Dominique Karas

RICE OWLS


ACADEmIC hONORS

RICE OWLS


gaRland, Texas — Seventh-seeded Rice earned its first league tourna-ment title in school history capturing the 2006 Conference USA Women’s Tennis crown with a 4-1 win over host and top-seeded SMU at the Garland Tennis Center. The Owls pulled off three consecutive upsets during the four-day tourney over league opponents Marshall, Houston and SMU en route to the title victory and C-USA’s automatic bid to the 2006 NCAA Tournament. The Rice victory not only marked the first time a seventh-seed has won the championship match, but also the first time a seventh-seed has earned a title match appearance. One year earlier, the Owls advanced to the cham-pionship match of the WAC tournament for the first time in school history. Rice captured the doubles point with a tough 8-6 win at the top spot. The Mustangs and Owls split at two and three doubles, before senior tandem of Blair DiSesa and Medeja Egic took control for Rice. The pair defeated SMU’s Svetlana Kouzmenko and Natalia Bubien 8-6 for the go-ahead point. At two doubles, Monica Neveklovska and Kristin Reid beat Owls’ Kim-berley Patenaude and Alanna Rodgers with an 8-3 Mustang victory, while Tiffany Lee and Christine Dao knotted the teams up 2-2. The sophomore duo beat the SMU twin sister pair of Brooke and Halley Rambally, 8-2. Feeding off of the doubles victory, DiSesa quickly extended the Owls’ lead with a win over Kouzmenko. The teams then split the next two singles matches. Egic defeated Mustang rookie Reid at four singles, 6-2, 6-0, while Halley Rambally took the first and only SMU point of the day with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over freshman Emily Braid at six. However, it was Rodgers who once again came through for the Owls. The freshman clinched the team match-point at five singles in Friday’s quarterfinals win against second-seeded Marshall. Rodgers then came off the courts first in Rice’s 4-1 defeat over crosstown rival and third-seeded Houston in the semifinals. The Nassau, Bahamas native decided the cham-pionship victory on Sunday with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Brooke Rambally. “I have never been more proud of a group of people in my entire life,” said DiSesa. “We had a subpar start to the season, but we recovered and today had one of the best matches we’ve ever played.”

Box Score - Rice 4, #51 SMU 1Doubles1 - DiSesa/Egic (Rice) def. Kouzmenko/ Bubien (SMU), 8-62 - Reid/ Neveklovska (SMU) def. Kimberley Patenaude/Rodgers (Rice), 8-43 - Lee/Dao (Rice) def. Rambally/Rambally (SMU), 8-2

Singles1 - #69 Blair DiSesa (Rice) def. Lana Kouzmenko (SMU), 6-3, 6-02 - Christine Dao (Rice) vs. Natalia Bubien (SMU), 3-6, 6-1, 1-3 DNF3 - Tiffany Lee (Rice) vs. Georgiana Marta (SMU), 6-1, 1-6, 1-0 DNF4 - Medeja Egic (Rice) def. KristenReid (SMU), 6-2, 6-05 - Alanna Rodgers (Rice) def. Brooke Rambally (SMU), 6-4, 6-36 - Halley Rambally (SMU) def. Emily Braid (Rice), 6-1, 6-3

Order of Finish: D2, D3, D1, S1, S4, S6, S5

2006 CONfERENCE uSa CHaMpIONS

47

• AAA •Kay Abrahams 1979-80Lauren Archer 2003-04Lydia Asselin 1976

• BBB •Linda Barrows 1978Amber Basica 1995Candida Beaumont 1993Lisa Blackburn 1979Tracie Blumentritt 1980-81-82-83Sarah Borwell 1998Emily Braid 2006-07-08Michelle Bramblett 1989-90-91Natalie Briaud 1999-2000-01-02Wendy Brockman 1981, 83-84-85Jackie Brown 1992-93-94-95Dana Burch 1975-76

• CCC •Marion Campbell 1986-87-88-89Amy Cao 2005-06Renee Capri 1990-91-92-93Emily Cates 1987-88-89Julie Chao 2007-08Karen Chao 2001-02-03-04Tracie Chong 2004-05Susan Collings 1977-78-79-80Ellen Considine 1984-85Lori Cronk 1985-86-87-88Allison Culver 1985-86-87-88Eileen Curreri 1982-83-84-85Mary Currier 1975

• DDD •Abby Daniels 1991-92-93-94Christine Dao 2005-06-07-08Candace Diepraam 1990-91Blair DiSesa 2003-04-05-06Cathleen Dwyer 1980

• EEE •Medeja Egic 2005-06

• FFF •Peggy Farnham 1975Charlotte Feasby 1997-98-99-2000Yasmin Fisher 2001-02-03-04

• GGG •Jessica Gagnon 1994-95-96-97Karen Garman 1981-82-83-84Giselle Geddes 1978Tracy Gilmore 1992-93Melissa Golden 1981Jeri Gonzales 2000-01-02-03Gina Gooding 1986Annie Goodrich 2001-02-03-04Justyna Gudzowska 1996-97-98-99

• HHH •Wanna Hadnott 1981-82-83-84Judith Hagedorn 1999-2000-01-02Genevieve Howell 1975-76Susan Hulbert 1978

• III •Vessie Ivanova 1995-96-97-98

• KKK •Dominique Karas 2005-06-07-08Rosalind Kermode 1986Mary Kirson 1975-76-77Mindy Ko 2002-03Jennifer Kraft 1979

• LLL •Tiffany Lee 2006-07-08Elle Lewis 1997-98-99-2000Rebecca Lin 2007-08Laura Little 1975Olga Limon 1993-94-95-96

• MMM •Rachelle Mack 1989-90-91-92Sharon McGinnis 1976-77-78Deborah Melaas 1979-80-81Andrea Miller 1989-90Stephanie Moat 2000-01-02-03Paula Myslivecek 1994-95-96-97

• NNN •Karen Neal 1985-86Betsy Nederveld 1990-91-92-93Katie Nederveld 1989-90-91-92

• PPP •Emily Pate 1977Jennifer Pan 2007Kimberley Patenaude 2005-06-07

• RRR •Alanna Rodgers 2006-07Tamara Ray 1982-83-84-85Susan Rudd 1981-82-83-84Brenda Ruel 1984

• SSS •Gigi Sacaris 1985-86Veronica Sagastegui 2007Penelope Saltzman 1977Cindy Scott 1976-77-78-79Varsha Shiva-Shankar 2008Sally Smith 1976Nina Springer 1976-77-78-79Blair Strassner 1991-92-93-94Liz Sulzberger 1987-88-89-90

• TTT •Erin Talton 1995-96-97-98Megan Tanner 1986-87-88-89Sue Taylor 1979-80Jane Trinh 1996-97-98

• VVV •Jennifer Velasco 1996-97-98-99Antonette Veloso 1992-93-94-95Erika Villalobos 2002-03-04Alice Vodicka 1987-88

• WWW •Irene Walker 1977Kylie Wallis 1999-2000-01-02Erin Waters 1998-99-2000-01Wendy Wood 1983-84-85-86

• YYY •Bobbie Yeager 1975-76

bROWN TaNNERgONzaLES

RICE OWLS


ALL-TImE LETTERWINNERS

RICE OWLS


2008 RICE TENNIS REuNION CLASSICSixteen former Rice Owls returned to not only cheer on the football team against Army in the homecoming game, but also to take on the current Owl tennis team. The weekend began with a fantastic cocktail party on Friday night and ended with a round robin event on Sat-urday. The program hopes to continue this tradition for many years to come.

2008-09 rice women's tennis media guide

Documents

city of houston

leebrondirector of athletics

hess tennis stadium

sports medicine

universityathletic heritage