The Gophers women’s tennis team began is Big Ten season Friday with a 7-0 sweep of Purdue at the 98th Street Racquet Club in Bloomington.
The sweep was Minnesota’s first during the regular season since beating Michigan State 9-0 in 1990. It increased the Gophers’ overall record to 4-0.
Minnesota played without junior Jenni Svehla, who sat out because of tendinitis in her shoulder. In Svehla’s absence, the Gophers had three freshmen and three sophomores on the court.
In the marquee matchup, Minnesota’s Nora Sauska (No. 47) beat Purdue’s Mary Beth Maggert (No. 45), 6-2, 7-5. Sauska, a freshman, is 14-1 this season.
Men’s tennis
The Gophers were shutout on Saturday by No. 8 Kansas at 98th Street, 7-0.
Minnesota sophomores Tom Chicoine and Adam Selkirk, and junior Robin Rutili brought their matches into the third set but eventually lost.
Women’s track
Minnesota’s 4×200-meter relay team of Natalie Smith, Shellie Braggs, Kimberly Heath and Yvette White broke the school record Saturday at the University Fieldhouse during the Minnesota Open with a time of 1 minute, 42.79 seconds.
They broke the old record by .19 seconds, which was set in 1995.
Thrower Dani Parkos provisionally qualified for the NCAAs in the shot put with a 48-foot, 6 1/4-inch throw.
In all, the Gophers won 12-of-19 events at the meet. Their next action with be at the Big Ten Indoor Championships in Champaign, Ill., Feb. 22-23.
Men’s track and field
Gophers junior Jon Anderson and senior Tye Harvey provisionally qualified for the NCAA meet in the pole vault Friday at the Fieldhouse during the Snowshoe Open.
Their vault of 17-1 1/2 marked the fourth straight meet Harvey provisionally qualified for the NCAAs, but it was personal best for Anderson.
The team’s next meet is the Big Tens at Iowa City, Iowa, on Feb. 22-23.