Women's Tennis at Whitman College

Whitman College Women's Tennis
1996-97 Season Roster

NameYearHometown // Previous School

Cedar BrownSo.Ashland OR // Ashland HS

Amy FongFr.Spokane WA // Mead HS

Leah LarsonFr.La Jolla CA // La Jolla Country Day HS

Thuy Ha NguyenSr.Portland OR // Benson HS

Lina ShanleyFr.Bend OR // Mountain View HS

Keli StearnsFr.Portland OR // Beaverton HS

Leslie WhittenFr.Spokane WA // University HS

Coaching Staff

Coach: Jayne McCarthy
Assistant Coach: Clifford Mah
Trainer: Juli Dunn
Athletic Director: Max Seachris

1996 Team Awards

Senior goalkeeper Genie Huntemann, who opened the season with four shutouts and blanked six of Whitman's first eight opponents, was presented with team MVP honors at a season-ending banquet. The MVP honor, which Huntemann also received last season, was one of several awards determined by a vote of the players.

Senior forward Carole Skeeters, who led a balanced Whitman attack with 13 points, received the Best Offensive Player award. Junior Erin Lawson was named Best Defensive Player, while junior Sara Sakamoto received the Most Inspirational award. Senior defender Molly Willis earned the Team Player award for the second time in three seasons. First-year player Laura Santa was recognized with the Most Improved award. Coach Scott Shields gave his Coaches Award to sophomore midfielder Kristen Ott.

News & Notes

Sept. 9, 1996 -- The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin newspaper today named Carole Skeeters as one of its two Athletes of the Week. The recognition was based on the Whitman senior's contributions to the previous weekend's two season-opening road victories. Skeeters scored one goal and assisted on another in a 5-0 victory over Albertson College. She also had an assist in a 2-0 triumph over Western Baptist.

Sept. 16, 1996 -- The Northwest Conference of Independent Colleges today named senior goalkeeper Genie Huntemann its Player-of-the-Week for women's soccer. Huntemann recorded 26 saves in shutting out both Central Washington University and Seattle University last weekend. Whitman has won its first four games of the season, all by shutouts.

Sept. 16, 1996 -- Based on its season-opening four shutout victories, Whitman today cracked the top 20 in the NAIA national soccer poll, making its debut in the No. 19 slot. Willamette dropped from No. 11 to No. 20 in the poll, while Whitworth plummeted from No. 2 to No. 16 after losing to Seattle University last Saturday. Seattle University, which then was upset by Whitman 1-0 on Sunday, moved from No. 21 to No. 10 in the poll.

Sept. 30, 1996 -- After losing its first and only game of the season to Willamette, Whitman slipped to No. 28 in today's NAIA national coaches poll. Willamette is now ranked No. 9.

October 28, 1996 -- One day after winning its final regular season game, Whitman returned to the NAIA national rankings, edging into the No. 29 slot.

The 1996 season came to rosy conclusion for the four seniors on the women's soccer team. From left to right, with roses from their parents in hand, are Molly Willis, Carole Skeeters, Leah Christenson and Genie Huntemann.

Photo courtesy of Molly's Mom and Dad, Tim and Sandra Willis of Corvallis, Oregon. 1 0 8 2 to have accessed this page since Dec. 18, 1995.