01:00 AM EDT on Tuesday, April 18, 2006

When Sandy Wood greeted his University of Rhode Island women's tennis team for its first workout last September, he couldn't believe his good luck. It was a few days after Labor Day and one of those perfect late summer New England afternoons. Sunny, blue sky, 75 degrees.

Valerie Chacon showed up wearing sweat pants and two sweat shirts.

"It's freezing," the freshman from Houston exclaimed.

Grace Hedstrom arrived in shorts and a T-shirt.

"I'm hot," the freshman from Minnetonka, Minn., said.

Tennis players from Texas and Minnesota at URI? You had better believe it. And also from Arizona and Pennsylvania, states well beyond URI's traditional recruiting grounds.

"I looked at old rosters, and all the kids were from Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. I decided to try to get other kids interested," Wood, Rhody's second-year women's coach, said.

He used his contacts in the tennis world and connected with consultants who advise high-school students which colleges might be a good match for them and recruited six freshmen to Kingston: Chacon and Hedstrom, Amanda Lewis (Prescott, Ariz.), Caroline Reuschel (Villanova, Pa.), Jess Sims (Holland, Pa.) and Haley Lowenthal (Franklin Lakes, N.J.). All are contributing to the program. Chacon plays No. 1 singles, Hedstrom No. 3, Sims No. 4 and Lowenthal No. 5. Reuschel and sophomore Emily Conant (South Dennis, Mass.) are the No. 3 doubles team, Chacon and Sims No. 2 and Hedstrom and senior captain Erin Fleming (Boston) No. 1.

"What was a pleasant surprise to me is that Rhode Island is perceived by people in other parts of the country as a really nice state. It has a lot of panache to kids from Minnesota. I played up that theme. We have a nice campus. It's eight miles from the beach. When they came from their recruiting trip, I'd spend a fair amount of time with them around the water."

The Rams will take a 12-1 record into their final match against Providence College today, a dramatic improvement over their 4-15 finish a year ago. Wood is confident they can improve their standing at the Atlantic 10 Championships this weekend. A year ago, URI was last.

"There are teams that are way better than we are in the A-10. We would do extremely well if we finished 10th out of the 14 teams in the league. We're hoping to pass a few teams and have an opportunity to finish 11th. Realistically, that's where we belong," he said.

Wood succeeded Val Villucci, who took the men's job when John Spears retired. He had been coaching at St. George's Academy in Middletown. If he has anything to say about the future of women's tennis at URI, the Rams won't be challenging for 11th place at the A-10 much longer. He is trying to organize a group of private investors to build an indoor tennis facility in South County, with URI teams the principal tenants. He is determined to find funding for additional scholarships so that URI, which currently awards the equivalent of three full scholarships to women's tennis, will be able to offer eight, the NCAA maximum and the number that eight A-10 teams offer now.

"I want to keep raising the professionalism of the URI tennis program to where we not only have one of the best teams in New England, but we are well-organized and have good facilities," said Wood. "Right now we are at a big disadvantage in our lack of an indoor facility. We have to drive to West Bay in Warwick, and they practice from 9:30 to 11 at night, which is not the best situation for them."

There is no indoor facility now between Warwick (Tennis Rhode Island, West Bay) and Westerly (Pond View). An off-campus location or the existing courts on Route 138 are possibilities.

"By the end of June I want to figure out which way we're going," Wood said. "To go up another level, I have to promise an indoor facility nearby."

He understands that becoming fully funded will take time and hopes to add one scholarship a year until he reaches the maximum of eight. Given the precarious budget situation at URI and likely contraction, Wood's talk of expansion is commendable.

"The tennis budget is the smallest of all the sports," he said, "and what will help me is that we are a women's team, and we have to do things to comply with Title IX. I feel there is no risk to my program."

Wood has one Rhode Islander, sophomore Whitney Squires (Bristol/Mt. Hope), on his squad and would like to have more. But they would have to be among the best high-school players in the state if they expect to play in Kingston.

"The top Rhode Island girls can certainly play for us," he said.

PC coach Wayne Turner's Friars are 5-11 and will conclude their season Friday at home against Holy Cross. That will be the last collegiate match for seniors Marissa Bigelli (Lincoln/La Salle) and Sara Bitetti (Norwell, Mass.).

URI defeated PC, 6-1, last fall.

Harris honored Connecticut College junior Zak Harris (Warren) has been named to the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar basketball second team. Diverse Issues in Higher Education magazine sponsors the program, which recognizes "students of color who exemplify the standards set by tennis great Arthur Ashe Jr. " Students must play an intercollegiate sport, have at least a 3.2 grade-point average and be involved in campus or community activities.

Harris was injured for most of the 2006 season and appeared in only four games. He averaged 8 points and 5.1 rebounds as a freshman and 8.3 points and 5.2 rebounds as a sophomore.

Harris made the dean's list last fall. His campus involvement includes chairing the Student Government Association diversity and equity committee and serving on five campus-wide committees. Last year he co-published The Avenue, which focused on the college's minority population and its issues. He has participated in the college's mentoring program for minority students and has worked in a program for young children from diverse backgrounds. He is a volunteer in the local Big Brothers program.

Track notes Navy freshman Meg Joyce (South Kingstown) is off to a great start with the Midshipmen's track and field team. She won the hammer at the Army/Navy meet at West Point last Friday with a throw of 170 feet, her personal best by more than 15 feet. Navy defeated Army, 104-99. She won the hammer a week earlier at the Blue Hen Invitational at the University of Delaware. Navy will compete at the Penn Relays April 27-28.

Wheaton freshman Jonathan Cunha won the 400 hurdles at the Brown Invitational in 54.66 seconds, a Wheaton record, and finished fifth in the 110 hurdles in 14.76 seconds, also a school record. Junior Jennifer Harlow won the high jump, clearing 5-7, a quarter of an inch shy of the NCAA qualifying height. Sophomore Megan Brousseau (Attleboro) was fifth in the mile and freshman Christin Moreau (Lincoln) fifth in the 400 hurdles.

Brown won the men's meet on the strength of first-place finishes by Hugh Murphy in the javelin (224-6), Kent Walls in the discus (163-2) and hammer (180-10, personal best), Grant Bowen in the pole vault (16- 3/4), Jordan Kinley in the 800 (1:53.81), Ozzie Myers in the 3,000 steeplechase (9:19) and the 4x100 relay.

Brown finished second behind Connecticut in the women's meet. URI was fourth. Kelly Powell of Brown won the 800 (2:12.26), Mikie Monaghan the 3,000 (9:58.33), Anya Davidson the 5,000 (17:19.29) and Anna Willard the steeplechase (10:31.64). Sarah Thornton of URI won the discus (149-10).

Providence College ran at the Mt. Sac Relays in Walnut, Calif., last week. Senior Mary Cullen finished fourth in the 5,000 Invitational (15:41.93) and qualified for the NCAA Regional. Freshman Katie DiCamillo also qualified in the 5,000 (16:41.60). Martin Fagan ran 13th in the 5,000 (13:39.62) and qualified for the NCAA Regional.

Local lacrosse teams struggling Providence College, Brown and Bryant will try to rebound this week in men's lacrosse. The Friars (4-5 overall, 3-2 MAAC) lost to Virginia Military Institute, 11-7, Saturday and will try to get back to .500 tomorrow at home against Manhattan. The Bears rallied in the fourth quarter at Penn Saturday but dropped a 9-8 decision to the seventh-ranked Quakers. They fell to 2-8 overall, 0-3 in the Ivy League. Their next game is Saturday at 1 against Dartmouth at Stevenson Field.

Eighth-ranked Bryant (7-4, 5-2 Northeast-10) squandered a five-goal lead and lost to ninth-ranked Merrimack, 14-13 in overtime, Saturday. Chris Elia scored six goals for the Warriors, including the game-winner on a behind-the-back shot. The Bulldogs will visit Bentley tonight.

Honors for Owens

CCRI's Marvin Owens is a first-team NJCAA Division II basketball All-American. The sophomore forward from Bridgeport, Conn., led the nation in scoring this season with a 27.4 average. He became CCRI's career scoring leader in his final game, a Northeast District semifinal loss to Lackawanna College, and finished with 1,407 points. He also holds the season scoring record of 794 points. He averaged 8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.75 steals this year.

On the links URI junior Ben Spitz won his second New England Division I golf championship in three years, but Binghamton snapped the Rams four-year run as New England champions Saturday at Triggs.

Spitz sank a 10-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole and defeated Jeff Wolniewicz of Binghamton. Each had birdied the first playoff hole. They were tied at 141 after 36 holes.

Hartford, Yale and Brown rounded out the top-five finishers in the field of 16 schools. Sophomore Larry Haertel led the Bears with a 76-69 -- 145 and finished in a three-way tie for fifth.

Roundup Ithaca senior Kaitlin Dulac (East Greenwich/Bay View) was the Empire 8 and ECAC softball player of the week recently for hitting .706 (12-17) with 4 extra-base hits, 11 runs and 10 RBI in a 6-0 week. Her performance improved her stats to .580 batting average, .780 slugging percentage, 23 RBI and 15 runs. . . . Providence College swept a doubleheader from UConn, 7-1, 4-1, Saturday in softball and improved to 23-11-1, 6-6 in the Big East. The Friars won five Big East games last year. Catcher Rachel Bartholomew was 5-for-7 with two home runs and five RBI. The Lady Friars will play a doubleheader at Yale tomorrow. . . . Third-place Roger Williams and first-place Salve Regina will battle in Commonwealth Coast Conference men's tennis today in Bristol. The CCC Tournament starts Saturday.

mszostak@projo.com/ (401) 277-7340