Feb. 16, 2011

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -

Air Force’s Lance Wilhelm and UNLV’s Mehdi Bouras have been named the Mountain West Conference Co-Men's Tennis Players of the Week, while Utah’s Anastasia Putilina has been selected as the Women's Tennis Player of the Week.

Wilhelm, who hails from Gig Harbor, Wash., went a combined 2-0 last Sunday in Air Force’s 5-2 loss to New Mexico State in Colorado Springs, Colo. Positioned at the top of the singles lineup, Wilhelm knocked off the Aggies’ No. 1 singles player, 75th-ranked Arthur Surreaux, 6-0, 6-3. Earlier in the match, Wilhelm teamed with Andy Jackson at the top doubles position to defeat the New Mexico State tandem of Jim Bouleau and Matej Stanke, 8-5.

A product of Paris, France, Bouras went 6-0 last week to lead UNLV to three-straight home wins over Utah State (6-1), UC Riverside (7-0) and Idaho State (6-1). In Thursday’s match against the Aggies, the senior teamed with Tamas Batyi to knock off Alex Thatcher and Fredrick Peterson, 8-3, at the No. 2 doubles position, before downing Sven Poslusny in straight sets (6-4, 6-1) at the top of the singles lineup. Bouras completed the weekend slate by tallying a 4-0 record in Saturday’s doubleheader vs. UC Riverside and Idaho State. Against the Highlanders, Bouras, the 76th-ranked singles player in the country, netted a 6-4, 6-3 win over Quoc Doan at the No. 1 spot. Earlier in the dual, the senior teamed with Bernard Schoeman to defeat Doan and Michael Conroy, 8-6, at the top of the doubles lineup. Bouras concluded the doubleheader by securing a 6-4, 6-2 victory over the Bengals’ Danel Barrenechea at the No. 1 singles spot, after partnering with Schoeman to down Gilberto Azevedo and Diego Cavalcanti, 8-4, at the top of the doubles lineup.

Putilina, the 114th-ranked singles player in the nation, topped Boise State’s Lauren Megale at the No. 1 singles spot to help No. 43 Utah defeat the 38th-ranked Broncos, 5-2, last Saturday in Salt Lake City. Earlier in the match, the Belgorod, Russia native teamed with Paige Miles to give the Utes their lone doubles win, an 8-6 decision over Megale and Marlena Pieztuch at the top of the doubles lineup.