ERIE, Pa. – The Thiel College women's tennis season came to an end Friday when the Tomcat's four singles players were eliminated in the opening round of the 2012 PAC Championships, held at the Pennbriar Racquet Club.
 
In singles competition, all four TC players were defeated in straight sets in their first match. Freshman Lauren Mittner (New Brighton, Pa./New Brighton) entered as the eighth seed at second singles and dropped a 6-1, 6-0 decision to #1 Shayla Landman from Saint Vincent. Mittner had a good showing in her first season with the program, tying for a team-best six singles victories.

At fourth singles, Liz Moir (Brentwood, Pa./Baldwin) was matched with an opponent from eventual co-champion, Westminster. Unfortunately for the Blue and Gold, she faced a similar fate as Mittner's, as Heather Santa bested Moir, 6-0, 6-0. In just her second season with the Tomcats, Moir finished the campaign tied with Mittner with six singles wins.

At fifth singles, Sandy Rodeheaver (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) could not get past the #1 seed from co-champion St. Vincent, Jessica McKetta. McKetta went on to win the bracket, as she utilized the 6-0, 6-0 win over Rodeheaver to start her run to the championship. Rodeheaver, also in her first season at Thiel, finished the year with four singles wins while having a solid run at number two doubles with Moir.
 
Finally at sixth singles, Mercedez Quarles was unable to do much against #1 seed Kylie Auman, dropping her opening match 6-0, 6-0. Quarles, who was also competing at her first PAC Championship, posted two singles wins during the season, including a decisive 6-3, 6-2 win over Deanna Gamble from Bethany on September 13, that gave Thiel its first conference win since September 14, 1999.
 
Saint Vincent and Westminster College tied for the conference championship, each finishing the tournament with team-scores of 49 points.  Grove City took third with 34 points, while Geneva and Waynesburg rounded out the top-5.