Women's Tennis Home



HEADLINES
Drvaric, Kastenholz Earn Spots On League All-Academic Team

Panthers End Season With Tourney Loss To Cleveland State

Titans Pull Out Tourney Win Over Panthers

RELATED LINKS
CollegeSports.com Wire
Free Email Newsletter

Panther Tennis Signs Five For 2006-07 Campaign

UWM adds standouts from Wisconsin, Minnesota

April 19, 2006

MILWAUKEE - Five high school standouts have signed National Letters of Intent to play tennis at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, head coach Matt McCaskill announced today.

Ashley Clark of Waseca, Minn., Kelly Drvaric of Waukesha, Wis., Kari Kastenholz of Racine, Wis., Ali O'Neal of Stevens Point, Wis., and Ashley Schoneman of Sheboygan, Wis., will all join the Panthers for the 2006-07 school year.

This is McCaskill's first recruiting class as the head coach at UWM, and he has brought in four of the top six seniors from the state of Wisconsin as well as one of the top five seniors from Minnesota.

"I am very proud of this year's recruiting class," the head coach said. "All of them can make an immediate impact at UWM and in the Horizon League. In addition, not only am I getting five talented tennis players, but all of the players are very strong in the classroom and have made an impact in their communities."

Clark has compiled stellar numbers during her career at Waseca High School. She won 111 singles matches in her four-year career, setting a new school record. She also earned a fourth-place finish in the Minnesota State Tournament in 2004. Clark, an honor roll student at Waseca, was ranked as high as 17th in the Northern Section.

Drvaric finished fourth at the state tournament in 2005 after being ranked as high as third in the state of Wisconsin. She played at #1 singles during all four years of her career at Catholic Memorial and is currently ranked among the top 75 high school players in the Midwest. Drvaric also excels off the court, where she is a member of the National Honor Society and a student council officer.

Kastenholz is a four-time state qualifier at The Prairie School. She finished fourth in the state in 2004 and then jumped to second place in 2005, earning all-state honors both years. She is also currently ranked among the top 75 high school players in the Midwest. A two-sport star in high school, Kastenholz also played soccer for the Prairie School. She also has shown off her talents in music and the theater, where she has been cast in lead roles in numerous productions.

O'Neal has put together an amazing 105-7 singles record during her four-year career at Stevens Point Area High School. Her strong play earned her all-state honors three times at the Wisconsin State Tournament and she has also been ranked as high as third in the state of Wisconsin. Also a standout in the classroom, O'Neal is a member of the National Honor Society.

Schoneman has been a three-time state qualifier during her career at Sheboygan North. She was a quarterfinalist at the state tournament in 2004 and compiled a four-year high school record of 81-20. She has also been ranked as high as fifth in the state of Wisconsin. Schoneman also played basketball at Sheboygan North and performed well in the classroom, finishing in the top 10 percent of her class. She is also a member of the National Honor Society.

The recruits join what is a generally young Panther team, with five of the top six players from this spring's team returning next season. Plus, Elizabeth Angel set a school record this year with 16 singles wins.

"This year's team has made incredible strides in the last year, with four players winning at least seven singles matches and Elizabeth setting the school record for wins," McCaskill said. "I am certain we will be very competitive in the Horizon League next year."