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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 22, 1999)
he Texas A&M Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Teams will compete )day through Saturday at the Penn Relay Carnival in Philadelphia, Pa. track teams set for Pennsylvania meet BY TOM KENNEDY The Battalion The Texas A&M Men’s and Women’s Ttack and Field Teams are 1 Philadelphia, Pa., today for the enn Relay Carnival at Franklin ield. The meet, one of the marquee ■||ck events in the country, will host tousands of athletes from junior- ■Klgh competitors to those in the pro- issional ranks. A&M track and field coach Ted 0p ,. c lelson said a meet of this size is one fthe highlights for his program. “All the kids look forward to it, ’’ ^Telson said. “It’s the only time they compete in front of 45,000 fans that are very track-knowledgeable. ” The relays will consist of tradi tional relays such as the 4xl00-me- ter relay and 1,600-meter relay and less-frequently run relays such as the 4x1,600-meter relay and the shuttle- hurdle relay, an event in which the A&M men are listed as top con tenders in. The Aggies are looking to contin ue their recent successes as both squads resume action after placing second last week at the Texas Quad Meet in Austin. The men are coming off their see Track on Page 12. Sports Page 9 • Thursday, April 22, 1999 Sophomores Dumitru Caradima and Shuon Madden have been a successful duo for the Texas A&M Tennis team this year, reaching the top ranking in the Intercollegiate lenms Association. Two of a Men's doubles team strikes fear in hearts of opposing teams BY AL LAZARUS The Battalion A s most who have seen them in action would agree, it would be quite under standable to fear playing a doubles match against Dumitru Caradima and Shuon Madden. With their menacing scowls and take-no prisoners playing style, the Texas A&M Men’s Tennis Team sophomores probably seem plen ty frightening to their prospective opponents. Add a No. 1 national ranking into the mix of booming serves and lightning-quick volleys, and the duo could be considered downright ter rifying to any doubles team unlucky enough to be in its way. “Most people are scared when they play us,” Caradima said. “They know we’re No. 1 be cause we’re a good team that knows what it’s doing out there. ” Caradima and Madden, who have held the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s top ranking since Feb. 16, have compiled a 19-2 overall record during the 1998-1999 season. In Febru ary the duo won the Rolex National Indoors Championships, defeating teams ranked sec ond, third, fifth and 10th in the nation on the way to capturing the prestigious title. Madden, who was born in Caracas, Venezuela, was selected to Venezuela’s Davis Cup team in 1997 as a doubles specialist. Caradima, born in Constanta, Romania, did not get much doubles experience during his junior tennis career. He credits A&M coach Tim Cass with his rapid development. “I wasn’t really a doubles player until I got here,” Caradima said. “I felt I knew how to play doubles, but I got better when I came here and worked with Coach Cass and his knowledge of doubles.” Madden and Caradima are the Aggies’ No. 1 and No. 2 singles players, respectively, but both are quick to point out that pairing two top play ers does not necessarily guarantee a strong dou bles team. “You have to communicate well and under stand each other’s game,” Caradima said. “Whenever we go out there it seems like we match up so well.” Madden said the duo’s different personalities and playing styles make a good combination. “We really compliment each other,” he said. “He [Caradima] has a very good serve, so that gives me more chances to help out at the net.” Madden is the more emotional of the two during a match, often punctuating an overhead smash with a few words to his opponent or a steely-eyed glare, but Cass said Caradima plays with a quieter intensity. “Shuon plays with a lot of emotion, but Du mitru does, too,” he said. “It’s just quiet emo tion. What they both share is a good under standing of tennis.” Being No. 1 throughout the spring season has had its disadvantages. Madden said. “If opponents want to let our ranking intim idate them, that’s up to them,” he said. “But it can also be motivation for them because they want to go out there and beat the No. 1 team in the country.” see Doubles on Page 11. t Universal'^ jtic environ ailable: 9 pDesk dwarefli dwor/tfflfj ;ouraged |5i i adquartersf] ety l‘9 David Spade Sophie Marceau A comedy about a guy who would do anything to get the giii of his dreams - and did! Los ound One of these dogs V must be Spade. iIlltBCMIBEmPMmniiwiiJtffma DIOSME SEMIMW 'LOSiSfOlB' PiMtll HEUHH HffMmEtalliSffll *51(11 OEiy ™«DP.SIU “SIMCE IflHEKMI »HiU(fflE BMICKJO*! “M.railWIfflMMME “MFMK PG 13 PARENTS STRONGLY CAUTIONED•SC3' » i al May fta Inapproprlata for CMMr m Untf ar 13 www.wb-lostandfound.com R INTtRT.MNMEVT COM RANT _ 7 o: STARTS APRIL 23 AT A THEATRE NEAR YOU. 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