10/05/12

Story by Tyler Cundith

W. Tennis – JCCC doubles team qualifies for USTA/ITA Championships

Shannon Beckett

Erika Castillo Lopez

OVERLAND PARK, KS – Two members of the Johnson County Community College women’s tennis team, sophomores Shannon Becket and Erika Castillo Lopez, have advanced to the USTA/ITA National Small College Championships, held Oct. 11-14 at the Copeland-Cox Tennis Center in Mobile, Ala. 

Both players qualified by winning the Midwest ITA Regional doubles title last weekend in Arkansas City, Kan.  Their appearance marks the third time a JCCC doubles team has qualified for this championship event.  Diana Goldsmith and Renae Wright qualified in the fall of 2004. Goldsmith qualified again in 2005 with partner Nicole Ruiz. 

The duo opened the Regional Tournament with an 8-0 victory over Ashley Bryen and Hannah Tomlinson of Seminole State, and followed with an 8-1 victory over Seminole State’s No. 1 team of Shawnee-Ann Brelsford and Helga Pinones-Haltenhoff. Beckett and Castillo Lopez capped the event with a come-from-behind win over Sarah Giraldo and Ana Ruzir of Cowley College. The JCCC tandem lost the first set 6-2, but battled back to tie the match with a 7-5 win in the second set. They secured their spot in Mobile by winning the tiebreaker 10-2. 

Beckett also qualified in singles play as well despite finishing runner-up in the Region qualifier.  One qualifier withdrew and Beckett is the next highest ranked player.  At Regionals, Beckett reached the final by winning four consecutive matches, before falling to Ruzir in a thrilling title match, 4-6, 6-1 (11-9).The USTA/ITA National Small College Championships are comprised of the eight regional champions (and/or at-large selections) from NCAA Divisions II and III, NAIA and Junior/Community Colleges.

The USTA/ITA National Small College Championship is the only national championship event for singles and doubles at the NCAA Division II and NAIA levels. It is also the only tournament that combines all levels of Junior/Community College (NJCAA Divisions I and III and the California division). The singles and doubles champions at each divisional level will then compete to become the overall “Super Bowl” champions. The "Super Bowl" champions earn wild cards into the USTA/ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships with the opportunity to win the culminating event held at the USTA-Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. 

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