04/26/11

Story by Tyler Cundith

M. Tennis – Cavs capture co-championship

OVERLAND PARK, KS – The Johnson County Community men’s tennis team won all nine of its matches on the final day of the NJCAA Region VI Championship in Wichita, Kan., to finish in a tie with Cowley for the team title. This is the Cavaliers third straight championship, and 11th in team history. By placing in the top three, the Cavaliers also earned its 28 berth to the NJCAA National Tournament next month in Plano, Texas.

JCCC won three singles titles and one doubles championship, and won the third place matches at the other five spots. Niklas Sparr won at No. 3, Maxim Fil at No. 4 and Harry Lee at No. 5. Sparr and Lee teamed to win the No. 1 doubles title.

Sparr, ranked 35th in the current Campbell’s/ITA Tennis Rankings, opened the tournament with a straight set 6-0, 6-0 win over Miguel Matter of Barton County and secured the title with a thrilling 7-5, 7-6 victory over No. 33 ranked Felipe Cruz of Seward County.

Fil, the No. 64 ranked player in country, downed No. 62 ranked Raphael Machado of Seward County in three sets. After dropping the first set 3-6, Fil battled back to get the win by taking sets two and three, 6-2, 6-1. Fil quickly disposed of Cowley’s Tom Giband, ranked 59th overall, in the final, winning 6-1, 6-2.

Spar and Fil, ranked eighth in country in doubles, won both matches in the No. 1 bracket in straight sets. They opened with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Seward County’s No. 1 team of Laercio Lobo and Nathan Nelmes, ranked sixth nationally. They secured the title with a 6-4, 6-4 win over No. 9 ranked Joan Valls and Nei Dos Santos of Cowley.

Lee, the No. 93 ranked singles player in country, had to come from behind to win his opening match against Christiano Mendes of Seward County. Lee lost the first set, 4-6, but battled back with wins of 7-5 and 6-4 to advance to the finals. Lee took care of No. 89 ranked John Ward of Cowley in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, to win the No. 5 singles bracket.

In other singles action, Johnson County got third place finishes at the No. 1, No.2 and No. 6 spots. Dehren Ramdin, ranked 23rd, won his third place match over No. 26 ranked Laercio Lobo of Seward County, 6-3, 6-2. Kane Olsen, ranked 30th in the ITA, downed No. 29 ranked Joan Valls of Cowley, 6-4, 6-1, and Matt Edwards was awarded the win over Hesston’s Luke Miller by default.

The Cavaliers No. 2 and No. 3 doubles teams also placed third in the championship. Ramdin and Olsen, ranked 21st nationally, defeated Barton County’s No. 2 team of Miguel Mattar and Victor Miranda, 6-2, 6-1. They lost to No. 16 Seward County in the semifinals. JCCC’s No. 3 team of Lee and Zach Hicks won their third place match over Hesston by default.

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