Lencina Hired As New UWM Tennis Coach

Nov. 3, 2004

Milwaukee - Mara Lencina is the new women's tennis coach at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, athletic director Bud Haidet announced today.

Lencina has coached previously at the Milwaukee School of Engineering and at Mount Mary College after starring in the collegiate ranks at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

"We are extremely fortunate to have found someone so qualified right in our backyard," Haidet said. "Mara has a strong coaching and playing background and will provide good leadership for our tennis program."

Lencina, who is currently a member of the Spanish faculty at Marquette and who previously taught at UWM, coached at Mount Mary from 1994-1997, winning conference coach of the year honors twice. She then took over at MSOE from 1997-2002, claiming two more coach of the year honors.

"I am excited about the challenge of coaching and developing Division I players here at UWM," Lencina said. "I am impressed by the level of talent, enthusiasm and committment to success that I have seen from all of the players so far. I look forward to us making progress throughout the season and having fun along the way."

As a player, Lencina played on a pair of NJCAA Division I team champions at Midland College in Texas before moving to UIC. There, she earned All-America honors while playing both singles and doubles.

Lencina, a native of Spain, also spent time as a touring professional in the World Tennis Association and is a certified as a professional instructor by the United States Professional Tennis Registry.

Lencina replaces Erika Wentz, who resigned last month.