Nov. 5, 2008

13 University of Illinois head coaches will take to the courts at the Atkins Tennis Center on Tuesday, November 11th, to become ball kids during day four of the 2008 JSM Challenger. The position is a volunteer opportunity for tennis fans in the community, and tournament organizers are thrilled to have University support for the largest tennis tournament in the state of Illinois.

"We're excited to have the support of the Illini Head Coaches at the 2008 JSM Challenger," says tournament director Jim Tressler. "This event is great for the Champaign/Urbana community and critical for the success of the Illinois Tennis program, so it's very special to have all the coaches involved. There aren't many athletic departments around the country that would have this type of support from all their head coaches."

Participating coaches include Tonja Buford-Bailey, women's track; Michelle Dasso, women's tennis; Brad Dancer, men's tennis; Don Hardin, volleyball; Dan Hartleb, baseball; Yoshi Hayasaki, men's gymnastics; Mark Johnson, wrestling; Sue Novitsky, swimming & diving; Janet Rayfield, soccer; Renee Slone, women's golf; Mike Small, men's golf; Bob Starkell, women's gymnastics; and Terri Sullivan, softball.

The JSM Challenger begins with qualifying on Sunday November 9th, and Monday November 10th. The main draw gets underway on Tuesday, November 11th. Former Illini student-athletes Kevin Anderson, Amer Delic, Ruben Gonzales, Rajeev Ram, and Ryan Rowe are expected to compete, along with this year's men's team. The qualifying draw will be posted on Saturday November 8th, with the main draw set on Monday November 10th. More information is available at www.illinoischallenger.com.