05/25/12

Story by Tyler Cundith

M. Tennis – JCCC eighth at NJCAA Nationals

OVERLAND PARK, KS – The Johnson County Community College men’s tennis team registered an eighth-place finish at the 2012 NJCAA Division I Championship in Plano, Texas.  This was JCCC’s 22nd top 10 finish in team history.  The Cavaliers had three singles players reach the quarterfinals, and one player capture a consolation bracket championship. JCCC also had two doubles teams win their respective consolation championship brackets. 

In singles play, sophomores Maxim Fil,  Dehren Ramdin and Juan Estepa each made it to the quarterfinal round in their brackets. Fil, playing the No. 1 position, opened with a straight set victory over Admire Mushonga of Seminole State (6-3, 7-5) and followed with a hard-fought win over No. 3 seed Zack Eveden of Cowley (2-6, 6-2, 6-3. That avenged a 0-6, 1-6 loss to Eveden earlier in the season. Fil was defeated in the quarterfinals by Delipe Dos Santos of Harford (6-7, 2-6), and finished his season 13-7 at the No. 1 position. 

Ramdin breezed through the first two rounds of the No. 3 bracket before falling to the No. 2 seed from Vincennes, Jose Zatine (0-6, 1-6). Ramdin began by downing Kevin Song of Marion Military (6-0, 6-1) and followed with a win over Freddy Sanchez of Seminole State (6-1, 6-1). He finished the season 12-5 overall. 

Estepa, playing the fourth position, posted straight set victories over Alex Prusaczyk of Lewis & Clark (6-1, 6-0) and Ricardo Bassani of Seward County (6-1, 6-4) before falling to second seed Ed Spillman of Vincennes (1-6, 0-6).  Estepa posted an overall mark of 14-6. 

Freshman Oliver Nimmegeers, playing from the No. 4 bracket, and sophomore Harry Lee in the sixth bracket, each reached the round of 16. Nimmegeers opened with a straight set win over Justin Delgado of Temple (6-3, 6-3) then lost to Vasili Caripi of Tyler (1-6, 3-6) to finish the season 10-8. Lee also began his tournament with win over a player from Temple, downing Andrew Fuellman in straight sets (6-1, 6-3.) He lost in the second round to No. 2 seed David White of Vincennes (2-6, 3-6), and finished his season with a team-best mark of 16-3. 

Freshman Daniel De Zamacona, playing at the No. 2 spot, suffered a opening round loss Oliver Andersen of Seminole State (6-2, 4-6, 4-6), but came back to win the consolation bracket with victories over Pil Ki Min of Marion Military (6-1, 7-5), McEnroe Apostol of DuPage (6-1, 6-1) and Dave Pollack of Scottsdale (2-6, 6-2, 10-8). He finished 14-4 on the season. 

The Cavaliers No. 1 doubles team of Fil and De Zamacona and No. 3 team of Lee and Estepa each suffered opening round losses but came back to win their respective consolation bracket championships.  The No. 2 team of Nimmegeers and freshman Michael Draper reached the round of 16.

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