Eye on the U

UM women's tennis finishes Sweet 16 round at close to 1 a.m. EST -- but beats Northwestern to advance to NCAA quarterfinals

They did it again.

For the fifth consecutive season, the University of Miami women's tennis team has advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament.

The sixth-ranked Hurricanes, playing at the tournament site in Urbana, Ill., beat Northwestern 4-3. They didn't complete play until close to 1 a.m. Eastern time Saturday (match began Friday night).

The Canes get to rest on Saturday, before meeting No. 3 Texas A&M at 5 p.m. EST on Sunday.

If UM beats Texas A&M in the Elite Eight round, it would play in the national semifinals on Monday. If UM, in turn, won that match, it would advance to the national title round on Tuesday.

The Hurricanes finished as the national runner-up in 2006, but have never won a national title. 

 On Friday, it was  junior Melissa Bolivar who clinched the victory at the No. 6 spot by winning her final two games. She beat Nida Hamilton 7-6 (6), 1-6, 6-4.

 Also winning for UM were Stephanie Wagner at the No. 1 spot and Kelsey Laurente at the No. 2 spot, as well as the crucial doubles victories by Albuquerque/Riobueno and Wagner/Brittany Dubins.

 "I didn't feel comfortable throughout the match,'' Bolivar said after the match, as reported by UM sports information. "I just fought through it. You have to win, even though you're not playing your best. That's a quality we have.''

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

 

Finnie suspended indefinitely after arrest in laptop theft

University of Miami cornerback Thomas Finnie has been suspended indefinitely after being arrested Tuesday morning in connection to a laptop theft on campus last week.

Here is the press release I received from Coral Gables police: "After further investigation by detectives with the University of Miami Police, it was determined that Thomas Finnie, a University of Miami student, was involved in the theft of the laptop computer from a dorm room on campus. Thomas Finnie was arrested today, December 11, 2012, and has been charged with Occupied Burglary and Grand Theft. He has been transported to the Dade County Jail by University of Miami Police personnel."

Finnie is coming off a sophomore season in which he played in 12 games and made 30 tackles, three pass breakups and one fumble recovery. He started UM's first six games.

According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Finnie has two previous arrests. He was charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession on July 20 of this year. He also was arrested with third degree grand theft by Hialeah police back in Nov. 2008.

Here is a statement from UM associate athletic director for communications and marketing Chris Freet: "Following the arrest for his involvement in the theft of a laptop computer, UM sophomore football student-athlete Thomas Finnie has been immediately suspended from all University of Miami athletic activities."

Finnie enrolled at UM in Jan. 2011. He was a three-star prospect according to Rivals.com. He helped lead Miami Central to the Class 6A state title in December 2010.

In an interview in June 2011 with UM's sports information department Finnie said he secretly wished he "could wake up 20 years from now and be in a big mansion." He went on to say, "I really want to be the one to bring my family up to par; I want to be the one who makes it out. I want to make my mother so proud and that's what I really want to do. I never quit, I never want to give up, because I really want to try to get there."