Eagles play strong at NJCAA
By By Tony Krausz / assistant sports editor
May 20, 2004
Meridian Community College claimed its best finish in the last three years at the NJCAA Division II Men's Tennis National Championship on May 9-15.
The Eagles scored 10 points in the week-long tourney to finish tied for 16th with Collin County (Texas) Community College at the national tournament held in Plano, Texas, on Collin County's campus.
Tyler Junior College finished first at the tournament, picking up 45 points, and Georgia Perimeter College came in second with 42.
Players and teams in singles and doubles competition are awarded two points for first-round victories, and they receive one point for each match win in the later rounds. In the consolation bracket, players receive half a point for a win.
MCC's Tyler Marroy made it to a quarterfinal match in the No. 4 singles against No. 2-seed Harry Hahn. Hahn defeated Marroy 6-0, 6-1.
Eagles singles player Chase Koestler played in a marathon match in the consolation bracket against Vincenne University's Jeremy Doalat of France. The MCC player battled for 2 1/2 hours before falling 6-3, 6-4 in the match.
Jay Merritt picked up a first-round win in No. 1 singles for MCC, defeating Elgin (Ill.) Community College's Kino Phetthongsy 6-2, 6-2. Merritt lost to Cowley Community College's Carlos Fernandez 6-0, 6-0 in the second round.
Koestler lost to Independence (Mo.) Community College's Enrico Kasjan 6-1, 6-0 in the first round, and he lost to Doalet in the consolation bracket.
In No. 3 singles, MCC's Mylan Anderson fell to Wallace-Hanceville (Ala.) Community College's Brett Rutledge 6-2, 7-6 (9-7) in the first round, but he defeated Elgin's Twee Phetthongsy 6-1, 6-0 in the consolation bracket. Anderson was eliminated from the tournament in a 7-6, 6-4 loss to Collin's Petros Goutziomitros.
Marroy had a bye in the first round, and he defeated Lake Land (Ill.) College's Keith Stuertz 6-3, 6-0 in the second round. He fell in the quarterfinals to Hahn.
MCC's Daniel Rigdon picked up a first-round win in the opening round of No. 5 singles, defeating Ren Pan 6-4, 6-2. Rigdon fell to Tyler's Guillaume Tonelli, who was the No. 1 seed, in the second round.
In No. 6 singles, MCC's Wilson Kahlmus, who had a first-round bye, fell to ABAC's Gabriel Veiga 6-0, 6-1 in the second round.
Merritt and Anderson picked up a 6-1, 6-0 win over Elgin's Pong Bunwat and Kino Phettlongsy in No. 1 doubles action, but lost to Mesa Community College's Josiah Barnett and Chad Turner 6-2, 6-2 in the second round.
MCC's Koestler and Marroy lost to Mesa's Keneth Alcalde and Bryan Louck 6-2, 6-2 in No. 2 doubles and fell to Central Alabama's Stephen McCormick and Alex Rondon 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. In No. 3 doubles, Rigdon and Kahlmus lost to Pima Community College's Chris Fenn and Michael Krauter 6-4, 6-0 in the first round and to Temple Community College's Jeff Contrera and Bryan Pyle 6-3, 6-4 in the second round.
