Sept. 4, 2002

Carolina placed nine players on the Atlantic Coast Conference 50th Anniversary Women's Tennis Team announced today by Commissioner John Swofford. The 52-member team was voted on by the nine league institutions as decided by the league's 50th Anniversary Committee.

The Carolina representatives were Jennifer Balent, Kathy Barton, Angela Bernal, Margie Brown, Laura DuPont, Gina Goblirsch, Cinda Gurney, Marlene Mejia and Alisha Portnoy.

Duke led all league schools with 12 members on the Golden Anniversary team while Clemson, North Carolina, and Wake Forest were tied for second with nine honorees each. Georgia Tech had four players selected followed by Maryland (3), Florida State (2), NC State (2) and Virginia with two.

ACC 50th Anniversary Women's Tennis Team

Jennifer Balent, North Carolina (1978-1981)
Jennifer Balent won three ACC singles titles during her career at Carolina ... captured the No. 2 flight Championship in 1978 and 79 and the No. 6 title in 1980 ... regional All-America selection in 1980.

Kathy Barton, North Carolina (1981-1984)
Kathy Barton won the 1980 No. 2 singles championship and was an AIAW All-America in 1982 ... Carolina's first All-American women's tennis player ... In 1984, she teamed with Stephanie Rauch to win the ACC No. 2 doubles titles ... She was the runner-up for the No. 4 ACC singles title in 1983.

Angela Bernal, North Carolina (1992)
Completed one of the most successful freshmen seasons in school history ... Won ACC individual Championship, playing at #2 for the 25th ranked Tar Heels ... Finished season with 28-10 overall record and 7-1 conference record as the 59th ranked player in the country ... Played in NCAA Individual Championships.

Margie Brown, North Carolina (1979-1982)
Member of Carolina's ACC Championship team in 1981 ... won two individual singles titles and three doubles championships ... 1979, she won the No. 4 flight and in 1981 she captured the title at the No. 3 flight ... 1980-82 Brown was a part of three ACC championship doubles teams ... 1980 she teamed with Marjorie Black for the No. 3 doubles crown ... 1981 and 82 she and Betsy Heidenberger won the No. 1 ACC doubles title ... 1980 she was a regional All-America selection ... considered one of the top players of her era.

Laura DuPont, North Carolina (1967-1970)
Won the United States Lawn Tennis Association's collegiate singles championship in 1970, becoming UNC's first female national champion ... She played on the pro tour for 12 years and was ranked as high as ninth in the world ... DuPont was inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) Women's Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame in 2002 ... She was inducted into the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 1977 ... She won the 1984 and 85 U.S. Open championship for women over 35.

Gina Goblirsch, North Carolina (1987-1990)
A three-time All-ACC selection from 1987-89 ... outstanding doubles player ... 1989 she teamed with Spencer Barnes to win the No. 1 ACC doubles championship ... Goblrisch was also an outstanding student and was named the Athletic Director's Scholar-Athlete Award in 1990.

Cinda Gurney, North Carolina (1990-1993)
A two-time All-America in singles, Gurney earned ACC Player of the Year three times in 1991, 92 and 93 ... won the ACC No. 1 singles flight championship all four years at Carolina, becoming only the second player in ACC history to accomplish that feat ... In 1993, she advanced to the NCAA singles championship match ... compiled a 116-32 singles record and is considered Carolina's best women's tennis player ever.

Marlene Mejia, North Carolina (2000-2001)
Earned first-team All-ACC honors in her first two years at No. 1 singles ... tied for the ACC title at the No. 1 singles flight in 2001 ... In her sophomore year, she finished the season ranked No. 18 and was selected first-team ITA All-America.

Alisha Portnoy, North Carolina (1990-1993)
An All-ACC selection in 1992 ... teamed with Cinda Gurney to win the No. 1 ACC doubles title in both 1991 and 92 ... she and Gurney went on to win the ITA Clay Court doubles championship in 1992 ... Portnoy and Gurney were 21-7 in doubles play in 1994.

Jen Callen, Virginia (1991-1994), Current North Carolina Head Coach
Team MVP in 1993 ... Two-time All-ACC selection in 1992 and 93 ... Two-time Individual Participant at the NCAA Singles Championships in 1993 and 94 ... Career record of 82-36, with a winning percentage of .696 ... Helped the team to NCAA Tournament appearances in 1993 and 94.