National Champs!! Tiger tennis team brings home first title since 1991
The wait is over! The Cowley College men's tennis team captured its first national title since 1991 and its first-ever title at the NJCAA Division I level by dominating the field at the NJCAA Division I Men's Tennis National Championships held in McKinney, TX.
In an all-Cowley vs. Tyler Junior College final on Friday, the Tigers won the first five singles titles to clinch the national championship. The Tigers would end up with seven national championships out of nine flights.
With the tears of joy flowing from the players, this Tiger team will go down as one of the most dominant in the history of junior college tennis.
Cowley head coach Manuel Raga and his sister and assistant coach Ari both played tennis at Cowley and worked so hard to achieve this feeling.
"It has taken an army of people to get to this point," Cowley head coach Manuel Raga said. "It was not just the guys on the court, it is hundreds of people that have supported us along the way. We knew all along it was ours to win; we just needed to make it happen. I am so proud of these guys."
Super sophomore Takeshi Taco, who came back to play an unprecedented third year at Cowley due to Covid rules, will go down as one of the most decorated junior college tennis players to ever play the game as he won a third straight singles title this time defeating Tyler's Diego Dalisay in the finals of No. 1 singles. Taco also teamed with Bruno Nhavene to win his second doubles title.
"He gives everything for the team," Raga said. "He is not only the best tennis player in the nation; he is the nicest tennis player in the nation. It has been amazing to watch his leadership, and we will miss him dearly."
Taco came back to Cowley for one simple reason, to win a national championship as a team after back-to-back national runner-up finishes.
"It is an honor to represent Cowley and give my best for the people at Cowley," Taco said. "This team is special. We created a family environment and fought for each other every match."
Other Tigers to capture singles titles on Friday were sophomore Boruch Skierkier (No. 2), freshman Bruno Nhavene (No. 3), freshman Reiya Komagata (No. 5), and sophomore Taiyo Hirano (No. 6).
Sophomore Hanamichi Carvajal dropped a tough, three-set match at No. 4 singles against Tyler's Nikola Keremedchiev 7-6, 4-6, 6-7 to finish as the national runner-up for a second straight year.
Cowley's other national title came from its No. 3 doubles team of Reiya Komagata and Boruch Skierkier, as the Tigers flexed their muscle in every match.
Eastern Florida State College finished third in the national tournament behind Tyler Junior College. Jayhawk Conference schools Barton and Pratt placed eighth and 10th, respectively.
Results:
DOUBLES
*No. 1 – Bruno Nhavene/Takeshi Taco (CC) defeated Sam Miyata/Brandon Telle-Marty (Paradise Valley) 6-0, 6-2; defeated Hugo Blasco/Lennert Lemahieu (Wallace State) 6-3, 6-2; defeated Aymen Alimoussa/Safar Rasulov (ABAC) 6-1, 6-2; defeated Diego Dalisay/Juan Carlos Garcia (Tyler) 7-6, 6-3 in the title match.
*No. 2 – Hanamichi Carvajal/Taiyo Hirano (CC) defeated Guido Loayza/James Wassell (Coastal Alabama) 6-1, 6-1; defeated Barnabas Kalaba/Prince Tsiang (Barton) 6-4, 7-6; defeated Jack Dixon/Colin Tavares (E. Florida State College) 6-7, 6-2, 6-0; lost to Dan Persson/Tim Riedel (Tyler) 4-6, 3-6 in the title match.
*No. 3 –Boruch Skierkier/Reiya Komagata (CC) defeated Macarthur Swain/Ian Williams (Jacksonville) 6-1, 6-1; defeated Gustavo Campos/Marno Duplessis (Barton) 6-1, 6-0; defeated Gianni Lopez/Joseph Restrepo (Collin) 6-2, 6-2; defeated Calvin Golmel/Emilio Vila (Tyler) 6-3, 6-2 in the title match.
SINGLES
*No. 1 – Taco (CC) defeated Tomas Nader (Jones College) 6-2, 6-4; defeated Seth Seeley (Collin) 6-0, 6-3; defeated Safar Rasulov (ABAC) 6-3, 6-1; defeated Diego Dalisay (Tyler) 6-3, 6-1 in the title match.
*No. 2 – Skierkier (CC) defeated Franco Vedda (Jacksonville) 6-1, 6-2; defeated Lennert Lemahieu (Wallace State) 6-1, 6-0' defeated Lucas Gonzalez (E. Florida State College) 6-1, 6-0; defeated Juan Carlos Garcia (Tyler) 6-3, 6-2 in the title match.
*No. 3 – Nhavene (CC) defeated Franco Toscano (Paradise Valley) 6-4, 6-1; defeated Prince Gandonou (Iowa Central) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; defeated Luke Tinnock (ABAC) 6-2, 6-3; defeated Tim Riedel (Tyler) 6-4, 6-4 in the title match.
*No. 4 - Carvajal (CC) defeated Jacob Runnels (Hinds) 6-0, 6-0; defeated Joseph Restrepo (Collin) 6-3, 6-4; defeated Andrew Kunaka (Iowa Central) 6-1, retired; lost to Nikola Keremedchiev (Tyler) 7-6, 4-6, 6-7 in the title match.
*No. 5 – Komagata (CC) defeated Tanner Bevard (Jones College) 6-1, 6-2; defeated Alex Ballinger (Pratt) 6-2, 6-1; defeated Gianni Lopez (Collin) 6-1, 6-0; defeated Emilio Vila (Tyler) 7-6, 7-6 in the title match.
*No. 6 – Hirano (CC) defeated Nick Scroppo (Prairie State) 6-0, 6-0; defeated Jesse Faro (Harford) 6-3, 6-2; defeated Nafarilo Outtara (Iowa Central) 7-5, 6-3; defeated Dan Persson (Tyler) 6-3, 6-1 in the title match.