Reynolds, Steenkamp begin ITA play Thursday

ACU sophomores each playing for individual national titles

CORPUS CHRISTI -- ACU sophomores Colleen Reynolds and Casper Steenkamp will play in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Small College Championships beginning Thursday at the HEB Tennis Center.

The ITA event -- one of the most unique in all of collegiate athletics -- dates back to 1986 and determines national champions for NCAA Divisions II and III, NAIA and Junior/Community College men's and women's singles and doubled during the first two-and-a-half days of play.  Those champions then compete to become the overall national small college champs (for all divisions) on Saturday afternoon and Sunday in the ITA "Super Bowl" of small college tennis.

The overall ITA "Super Bowl" winners in each of the four flights (men's and women's singles and doubles) will earn wild card berths into the Nov. 6-9 ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships, hosted by the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Reynolds won the ITA Central Region championship last month in Abilene, beating teammate Rachel Taylor, 6-4, 6-3, in the championship match to earn the berth at the ITA national championship meet.  She will be the No. 7 seed in the women's singles draw and will play No. 8 seed Cornelia Grunes of Barry (Fla.) at 8 a.m. Thursday.

Steenkamp won the ITA Central Region championship late last month in Springfield, Mo., knocking Matias Oddone of Drury (Mo.) University, 7-5, 5-7, 6-1, in the championship match.  He will be the No. 7 seed and will play eighth-seeded Richard Stempnowski of Florida-Gulf Coast at 8 a.m. Thursday.