Date: May 20, 2003
Contact: Brian Laubscher (540) 458-8676
Release: Upon Receipt

PROKO AND HAGERMAN EARN ALL-AMERICA ACCOLADES
Senior And Sophomore Each Reached Semifinals In Singles And Doubles

Six-time All-American Erika Proko

REDLANDS, Calif. -- A pair of Washington and Lee women's tennis players, senior Erika Proko (Charlotte, N.C./Providence Day) and sophomore Lindsay Hagerman (Dallas, Texas/Highland Park), earned All-America honors in both singles and doubles at the recently completed NCAA Division III Tournament.

Proko earned the fifth and sixth All-America honors of her career for reaching the semifinal round of the NCAA Tournament in both singles and doubles. In singles, ninth-ranked Proko (27-5) fell to eventual-champion Mary Ellen Gordon of Emory, 6-3, 6-3. A four-time All-ODAC performer and the 2003 conference player of the year, she will graduate having earned All-America status more times than any player in W&L women's tennis history. Moreover, she stands first all-time at W&L in career doubles wins (104) and third all-time in singles wins (92).

Hagerman, an All-American performer in singles as a freshman, attained All-America status for the second and third times of her career. In singles, Divsion III's sixth-ranked player reached the semifinal round, where she fell to eventual runner-up Jolyn Taylor of Emory. She finished the season with a 26-4 record.

This season Proko and Hagerman teamed to form the top-ranked doubles duo in Division III. Together, they went 30-2 overall, a W&L mark for wins in a season, and reached the final four before falling, 8-6, 6-4, to Haley Heathman and Liz Bondi of DePauw.

Washington and Lee (24-2) finished its season as the Division III runner-up, falling in the championship match, 5-1, to Emory on May 16.

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