The weeklong NJCAA Division I tournament wasn't decided until late Friday night on indoor courts at Canyon Creek Country Club in Richardson.

By JOE BUIE
Staff Writer

Tyler Morning Telegraph


It came down to Region XIV rivals TJC and Laredo battling in two doubles finals, which had to be moved inside because of thunderstorms in Plano.

The Apaches won at Flight 3 but lost at Flight 1 to create the three-way tie. TJC, Collin and Laredo all finished with 40 points -- the first time in the history of NJCAA Division I men's tennis that there was a three-way tie for first.

This is TJC's fourth national title of the 2009-10 sports season, joining men's and women's soccer and women's tennis. It is also the athletic program's 42nd national championship overall and the 22nd for TJC tennis coach John Peterson.

TJC had the best day of any of the four contending teams Friday, going 3-1 in the finals. Top-ranked Collin went 2-2 while Laredo, which entered the day with a one-point lead, went 1-3. Laredo had won the previous five national tournaments outright.

Vincennes, from Indiana, went 2-2 to finish with 38 points.

The singles matches began at 8 a.m. at Collin College in Plano, and the Apaches won both of their finals with No. 3 seed Pier Pieracciani at Flight 2 and top seed Paulo Roessle at Flight 5.

Roessle, a sophomore from Brazil, rallied to beat No. 2 seed Matt Davis of Collin, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3.

The point totals after singles stood at 40 for Collin, 39 for TJC and Laredo, and 37 for Vincennes.

Collin, the tournament favorite and home team, likely felt the most pressure since it made just one doubles final. Collin then lost in straight sets to Vincennes at Flight 2 -- a loss that ended up costing the Cougars an outright national title.

The TJC women won the national tennis title last week in Tucson, Ariz.

The TJC baseball team begins play May 22 in the NJCAA Division III World Series at Mike Carter Field.

Friday's Results

Finals

Singles

Flight 1

-- Damian Hume (1), Collin, d. Cledson Carvalho (2), Laredo, 6-2, 6-4.

Flight 2 -- Pier Pieracciani (3), Tyler, d. Lendl Smith (2), Vincennes (Ind.), 6-1, 6-2.

Flight 3

-- Simon Honegger (2), Vincennes (Ind.), d. Roger White (6), Cowley (Kan.), 6-1, 6-0.

Flight 4

-- Rodolfo Bustamante (1), Collin, d. Jonas Imhof (4), Vincennes (Ind.), 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Flight 5

-- Paulo Roessle (1), Tyler, d. Matt Davis (2), Collin, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3.

Flight 6

-- Bryan Canavan (5), Seminole State (Okla.), d. Rafael Bugiga (3), Laredo, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

Doubles

Flight 1

-- Felipe Baptista-Carvalho (6), Laredo, d. Mario Jakovljevic-Pieracciani (5), Tyler, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.

Flight 2 -- Jami Clark-Smith (4), Vincennes (Ind.), d. Bustamante-Davis (3), Collin, 6-4, 6-2.

Flight 3

-- John Devose-Pete Thomason (1), Tyler, d. Bugiga-Antoine Raffaelli (4), Laredo, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-2.