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Seaborne���s Success Leads to National Ranking By Eric Clark R uth Seaborne knows success. The junior member of the University of Iowa women���s tennis team has competed in the Junior Championships at Wimbledon and won various European amateur tournaments in both singles and doubles. Last week, the London, England, native broke into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association���s rankings at No. 123. Seaborne agreed, saying that having a composed doubles partner helps her focus. The former Florida State Seminole transferred to the UI in the fall of 2012 and tallied a 7-4 record in singles play, as well as a 3-6 record in doubles matches during the fall season. So far this spring, Seaborne has posted a 5-0 record in singles at the Hawkeyes��� No. 1 position, with two of those victories coming against ranked opponents. ���They���re two of our better doubles players, and sometimes you want to split them up and spread the wealth a bit,��� the fourth-year head coach said. ���We know we have something special, and we���re going to roll with it for as long as we can.��� ���She���s obviously a talented tennis player,��� said UI head coach Katie Dougherty. ���She���s been a positive addition for us.��� Seaborne has also maintained a 5-1 record in doubles play with sophomore partner Morven McCulloch. ���We tried a bunch of combinations in the fall, and one of the last ones we switched around with was putting her with McCulloch,��� Dougherty said. ���(Ruth) brings out the best in Morven, and Morven���s calm presence helps Ruth a lot.��� ���I like having another person on the court with me,��� Seaborne said. ���It helps take the pressure off.��� Dougherty doesn���t plan on separating the flourishing combination any time soon. Seaborne has a firm grasp on the Hawkeye���s No. 1 position in singles as well, and had high expectations coming into the spring season. ���I thought I was going to be in the top two,��� she said. ���I think I���m holding the No. 1 spot pretty well.��� Despite being a junior, Seaborne is only 19 years old. On a team without any seniors, one might suspect that leadership could be an issue. Seaborne doesn���t think so. 57