Like Michael Jordan in Game Five of the 1997 NBA finals, who overcame sickness to score 38 points and capture his fifth NBA championship, sophomore Ysabel Gonzalez-Rico battled ailment this past weekend at the ITA Cup Division III Singles National Championship to pull off a stunning victory.
Gonzalez-Rico’s displayed a heroic effort after she contracted food poisoning the night before the finals match of the Oct. 13 championship in Rome, Ga. Despite the setback, the player still managed to defeat John Carroll University (Ohio) senior Lauren O’Malley 6-4, 6-1.
Although the final score may seem like the match was an easy victory, Gonzalez-Rico struggled to maintain her composure in the first set.
“I was down 4-1 in the first set, and then I figured it out,” Gonzalez-Rico said. “I told myself to be more patient.”
Head Coach Amy Bryant said that Gonzalez-Rico’s difficulties in the first set stemmed from her overagressiveness on the court and desire to finish the match quickly.
“She was rushing a little,” Bryant said. “And then she just needed to slow down a little bit, and then [the match] went very smoothly.”
After Gonzalez-Rico won, she said she felt “ecstatic and extremely tired.”
With her victory, she became just the seventh ITA Division III singles champion in the program’s history. Her victory earned her a wild-card berth into the singles draw of the Oracle ITA Fall National Championships in Surprise, Ariz., from Nov. 7-11, consisting of the best Division I players in the country.
Gonzalez-Rico and freshman Jessica Fatemi also reached the semifinals of the doubles draw, but lost to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) 6-0, 7-6.
The rest of the team played in the Georgia Southern Shootout on Oct. 14 in Statesboro, Ga., against all Division I athletes.
In doubles, senior Daniela Lopez and freshman Emma Cartledge captured a “really impressive victory,” according to Bryant, where the duo won the main draw with a 6-2 win over Georgia State University. Sophomores Stephanie Taylor and Defne Olcay also had an impressive showing with third place in the third doubles flight with a 6-1 victory over Appalachian State University (N.C.).
In singles, No. 3 Taylor won her grueling match in the third singles draw, defeating Georgia Southern University senior Lindsay Truscott 6-4, 7-6. No. 5 Emory freshman Lauren Yoon also played a difficult singles match in the third singles flight, beating Winthrop University (S.C.) senior Ellie Burns in three sets 6-4, 4-6, 10-8, respectively. Emory sophomore Sasha Hartje triumphed over Savannah State University (Ga.) freshman Christy Turner in straight sets 6-1, 6-0 to win the ERK Round Robin bracket.
Bryant made sure to single out Hartje for her victories this weekend.
“[Hartje] won her bracket as well,” Bryant said. “[Her victory] shows our depth from one to 10.”
The Eagles will next travel to Spartanburg, S.C., for the Wofford Invitational from Nov. 2-4.
