SCOREBOARD 1987 MEN'S AIC TENNIS TEAM STANDINGS Harding University .......... 6-0 Southern Arkansas Univ . ..... .5-1 Arkansas Tech University .... .4-2 Hendrix College ............. 3-3 University of Central Ark...... 2-4 Ouachita Baptist University .... 1-5 Henderson State University .. . .0-6 Ace, Coach! David Elliott prt:- pares for another afternoon practice with the Harding netters. Elliott had been a faculty member since 1964. - photo by Bill Tripp. 146 Athle_tics Tenms WJ~~~~~ec:x~ leadership of Coach David Elliot, the Harding tennis team coasted to its third Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference title in four years and its first outright championship since 1981. In past years conference play had resulted in ties with stiff • competitors, Southern Arkansas University or Arkansas Tech University, but this time the Harding squad completed its AIC slate with a perfect 6-9 record. In the NAIA District 17 tournament, the Bisons captured four of nine brackets, but the teams that had provided competition in past conference play once more came to the front, and Harding, SAU, and ATU ended the first day of play in a tie, each with 18 points. "That kind of tie had never happened before," noted Gregg Barden, a junior who played since his freshman year. "There weren't written rules on how to break the tie. We thought since we'd beaten both teams at conference, the title would come to us." But the decision was otherwise, and a double-dual playoff was scheduled for the next day. "It was really hard," reflected Barden. "We were in finals week back at school, and that added a lot of pressure. The other teams didn't have to worry about that. And we'd thought because of conference, district would be ours. We weren't mentally preared for another whole day of extra play." The situation put the Bisons at a disadvantage, and SAU defeated both Tennis Harding and ATU to claim the automatic bid. "We'd worked so hard all year," Barden continued. "we really thought we were going to Nationals, and it all just blew up in our face. We were emotionally drained after the season. It hit everybody hard." Still, the season looked good on the record. Nationally, the Bisons with their overall 18-5 record, were ranked among the top 25 teams in the NAIA. And , they were represented at the nationals. Coach Elliot was named AIC Coach of the Year, and the team agreed with that decision. According to junior Andy Thomas, "He really does a good job. He knows the players and understands the game. - Sheila Underwood Tennis. Front row: Gillum, Martinez, Barden , Waag, Ward. Back row: Elliot - coach , Liverpool - graduate assistant, Sanderson , Rosales, Thomas, French, Jittimaporn, Wallis - assistant coach . - photo by Bill Tripp.
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