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NEW YORK – Columbia University, in conjunction with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), is gearing up to welcome the best tennis players from around the nation to the 2012 USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships. The NIIC will take place November 8-11, 2012.

The 2011 USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships is the only event on the ITA calendar featuring elite players from every level of college tennis. This prestigious tournament serves as the culmination of the fall season and is held at the home of the US Open: the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York.

Hosted by Columbia University, the USTA/ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships features a 32-player singles draw and a 20-team doubles draw for men and women. Heading the field are champions from the USTA/ITA Division I Regional Championships held across the country in October, winners of the USTA/ITA National Small College “Super Bowl,” and the singles quarterfinalists, doubles finalists and consolation champions from the ITA Men’s and Riviera/ITA Women's All-American Championships.

Seedings for the event will be based on pre-season ITA rankings and fall results.

The most unique element of the USTA/ITA Intercollegiate Championships program is the fact that all levels of varsity college tennis (NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and Junior/Community College) are competing in one comprehensive event, and any ITA varsity student-athlete has the opportunity to play and win at the prestigious USTA-Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

The USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships was inaugurated in 1978 for the men and 1984 for the women. Past champions and finalists include current professionals John Isner (Georgia), James Blake (Harvard), Somdev Devvarman (Virginia), Irina Falconi (Georgia Tech), Lisa Raymond (Florida) and Bob and Mike Bryan (Stanford). Big Ten legends and Grand Slam finalists Todd Martin (Northwestern) and MaliVai Washington (Michigan) are also among the past champions.

COLUMBIA SELECTIONS
The Columbia men’s and women’s tennis teams will be represented by seven student-athletes at the NIIC. On the men’s side, Winston Lin was selected to compete in the 32-player singles draw. Lin and doubles partner Bert Vancura will be one of two Columbia doubles teams in action, joining the ITA Northeast Region doubles champions, Ashok Narayana and Max Schnur.

The women will be represented by a trio of student-athletes. Nicole Bartnik will take the court in singles competition, while Bianca Sanon and Tiana Takenaga will compete in the doubles draw. A complete list of selections can be found HERE.

For more information on the event, visit the ITA website, or check back here as the event gets closer, for draws and tournament information.