Apaches News
Thu, May 17, 2012 at 9:54 AM - [Men's Tennis]
Article Courtesy of Tyler Morning Telegraph
 
PLANO - Despite dropping three matches on Wednesday, the Tyler Junior College Apaches remained in the hunt for the NJCAA men's national tennis championship.
 

TJC was 4-2 in singles at Collin County Community College and 2-1 in doubles. 

Laredo leads after the third day of the tournament with 34 points, while TJC is tied with Collin County and Vincennes (Ind.) with 33 points for second place.
 
Action continues today at 9:15 a.m.
 
The Apaches lost two close and key head-to-head matches with Laredo in Flight 1 (TJC's No. 4 seed Luis Vivas fell to Laredo's No. 1 seed Jair Assuncao 7-5, 7-5) and in Flight 2 (TJC's Matt Campbell fell to Laredo's No. 3 seed Bruno Kliskinic 7-6 (3), 7-6 (8)).
 

TJC did advance four singles players to the semifinals - No. 4 seed Tassilo Schmid in Flight 3; No. 4 seed Vasili Caripi in Flight 4; No. 3 seed Javier Perez in Flight 5; and No. 3 seed Jacob Rother in Flight 6.

Schmid scored a 6-4, 6-2 win over No. 5 seed Edgardo Tapia of Cowley County (Kan.). He will play No. 1 seed Jeremie Castela of Laredo at 9:15 a.m. today. 
 
Caripi will face No. 1 seed Leonardo Ivic in the semifinals at 11 a.m. today. Caripi won his quarterfinals match over Caio Nunes of Seminole State (Okla.), 6-2, 6-2.
 
Perez captured his quarterfinal match over No. 5 seed Josh Golding of Cowley County, 6-2, 6-2. Perez will face No. 2 seed Ed Spillman of Vincennes at 11 a.m. today in the semifinals.
 

In Flight 6, Rother won his quarters match with Matt Canelon of USC Lancaster (S.C.), 6-1, 6-0. His semifinal opponent is No. 1 seed Geiawdivos Haile of Georgia Perimeter. The match is slated for 11 a.m.

In doubles, TJC's No. 3 seed Campbell and Caripi advanced to the semifinals with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over the Seward (Kan.) team of Lucas Izkovitz and Justin Pena. The Apache duo will face Laredo's No. 2 seeded team of Jeremie Castela and Kliskinic at 2 p.m.
 
The Apaches' Schmid and Adam Taylor, the No. 5 seeds, fell in Fight 2 doubles to No. 2 seeds Jose Soto and Jose Zaatini of Vincennes, 6-4, 6-3.
 
TJC's No. 1-seeded pair of Rother and Vivas in Flight 3 doubles scored a 6-2, 6-2 win over Preston Samowitz and Eric Verdi of Georgia Perimeter in the quarters. Rother and Vivas will play the No. 4 seed team of Casey Clark and Kyle Rowe of Collin at 2 p.m. today.
 

The final day of the tournament is Friday.

---

NJCAA Men's NationalTennis Tournament

Collin County Community College, Plano

Standings - Day 3

1. Laredo (Texas) - 34

2. Collin (Texas) - 33

2. Tyler (Texas) - 33

2. Vincennes (Ind.) - 33

5. Georgia Perimeter - 31

6. Cowley County (Kan.) - 28.5

7. ABAC (Ga.) - 25

8. Seminole State (Okla.) - 18.5

9. ASA (N.Y.) - 18

10. Johnson County (Kan.) -17.5

10. Temple (Texas) - 17.5

12. Seward County (Kan.) - 17

12. USC Lancaster (S.C.) - 17

14. Itawamba (Miss.) - 16

15. Meridian (Miss.) - 14.5

16. New Mexico Military - 14

17. Harford (Md.) - 9.5

18. Marion Military (Ala.) - 9

18. Mesa (Ariz.) - 9

20. Scottsdale (Ariz.) - 8

20. Lewis & Clark (Ill.) - 8

22. Dupage (Ill.) - 6

23. Pima (Ariz.) - 5

24. Moraine Valley (Ill.) - 3.5

25. Mississippi Gulf Coast  - 3

26. Oakton (Ill.) - .5

Thu, May 17, 2012 at 9:43 AM - [Women's Golf]
The TJC women's golf team shot a 3rd round score of 344 to remain in 8th place at the NJCAA Women's Golf National Championships.  The fourth and final round is today.  Lisa Freunberger leads the squad with a three day total of 252, which places her 37th among all competitors. 
 
Click HERE for complete scores.
Thu, May 17, 2012 at 9:32 AM - [Baseball]
Article Courtesy of Phil Hicks, Tyler Morning Telegraph
 
Presenting the annual Sara Hightower Murff Scholarships and hosting a Little League Clinic have become two of the most anticipated events leading up to the NJCAA Division III World Series each year.
 

Awarding the Murff Scholarships has become a tradition as Robert E. Lee High School's Travis Miller and Arp High School's Gena Allen were awarded the scholarships during Media Day on Wednesday at Mike Carter Field.

Former Tyler Junior College coach Dr. Jon Groth and Richard Solomon of Austin Bank presented the scholarships to Miller and Allen.
 
Sara Hightower Murff is the widow of Red Murff, the New York Mets scout who discovered Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan. She was unable to attend the ceremony this year.
 
Red Murff, who lived in Tyler when he passed away in 2008, was also a major league pitcher and pitched some legendary professional games at Mike Carter Field. He was married for 30-plus years to Sara, who taught first-grade reading for 28 years.
 
Miller played catcher at REL, while Allen was a first baseman for the Lady Tigers.
 
Allen, who sports a 3.6 GPA and volunteered for Special Olympics and Salvation Army among her many community service projects, will attend UT Tyler and major in nursing.
 
"I am very thankful I was considered for the Sara Murff Scholarship," said Allen, who was homecoming queen and prom queen. "This will help me pursue my nursing degree."
 
Miller, who has a 3.9 GPA and is involved in Boy Scouts and many other community service projects, plans to attend the University of Oklahoma and major in biology or bio-chemistry.
 
"It is an honor to be selected," Miller said. "I'm blessed to be able to just apply for this scholarship."
 
The D-III National Baseball Championship presented by Wells Fargo Advisors Tyler Texas Offices is scheduled to begin on Saturday at Mike Carter Field. This is the sixth consecutive year the tournament has been held in Tyler. SporTyler and Tyler Junior College recently won a bid that keeps the event here through at least 2015.
 
Eight teams, including Tyler Junior College, will by vying for the coveted championship. It is double elimination with four games each on Saturday and Sunday. TJC is in Game 1 of World Series against St. Cloud (Minn.) Technical & Community College at 9 a.m. Saturday.
 
The Apaches won it all in 2007 and finished second in 2010.
 
The Little League Clinic is scheduled for today at Mike Carter Field.
 
The free clinic is for Little League players and their families. Coaches and players from Juco World Series teams will conduct the clinic.
 
The clinic is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. and continue to about 7:30 p.m. Teams are welcome to come together.
 

SMOKE SIGNALS: Mike Carter Field, 1900 W. Houston St., is between the Tyler Rose Garden and Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium. …  Ticket prices are: tournament pass (adults only) $20; single day pass (adult) $5; single day pass (students/children) $3; children 10 & under (free) and any Little League player in uniform (free).

-

NJCAA Division III World Series

Presented By Wells Fargo

Advisors Tyler Texas Office

At Mike Carter Field
 

Saturday, May 19

Game 1:  Tyler Junior College (36-18) vs. St. Cloud (Minn.) Technical & Community College (35-5), 9 a.m.

Game 2:  Joliet (Ill.) Junior College (33-29) vs. Nassau (N.Y.) Community College (23-26), noon

Game 3:  Niagara County (N.Y.) Community College (35-20) vs. Gloucester (N.J.) Community College (46-9), 4 p.m.

Game 4:  Montgomery (Md.) College-Germantown (30-26) vs. Northern Essex (Mass.) Community College (27-7), 7 p.m. 
 

Sunday, May 20

Game 5:  Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 9 a.m.

Game 6:  Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, noon

Game 7:  Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 4 p.m.

Game 8:  Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 7 p.m. 
 

Monday, May 21

Game 9:  Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 7, noon

Game 10:  Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 8, 4 p.m.

Game 11:  Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 7 p.m. 
 

Tuesday, May 22

Game 12:  Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 4 p.m.

Game 13:  Winner Game 12 vs. Loser Game 11, 7 p.m.
 

Wednesday, May 23

Game 14:  Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 13, 7 p.m.
 

Thursday, May 24

Game 15:  If necessary, 7 p.m.
 
Wed, May 16, 2012 at 9:27 AM - [Women's Golf]
The TJC Lady Apache golf team sits alone in 8th place after Day 2 of the NJCAA Women's Golf National Championships.  After shooting a team total of 334 on Day 1, the squad shot a 343, leaving them 16 shots behind 7th place Texarkana.  Redlands Community College is the leader after two days with a team total of 595.  Click HERE for all scores. 
Sun, May 13, 2012 - [Baseball]
The Apaches (36-18) defeated Richland College (32-26) 11-1 this afternoon in the District C Final at Mike Carter Field to advance to the 2012 NJCAA Div. III World Series presented by the Wells Fargo Advisers of Tyler, TX. 

Sat, May 12, 2012 - [Baseball]

Due to the timing of the NJCAA Division III District C Tournament falling on graduation weekend, Tyler Junior College's V.P. of Student Affairs Dr. Johnny Moore and Athletic Director Dr. Tim Drain recognized 11 student-athletes and 1 student athletic trainer as 2012 TJC graduates.  The graduates were able to share the experience in front of friends, family, and fans this afternoon prior to their matchup against North Lake College at Mike Carter Field.

 
Photo from left to right:  Dr. Tim Drain (Athletic Director), Head Coach Dough Wren, Payton Smith, Parker Phillips, Taylor Drolette (Magna Cum Laude), Student-Trainer Mario Martinez, PJ Worthen, Jackie Black, Trevor Clifton (Cum Laude), Cody Ellerbee (Cum Laude), Zack Zeilinger (Cum Laude), Tyler Ernest (Magna Cum Laude), Hunter Rekeita (Magna Cum Laude), Jon McManemin, and Dr. Johnny Moore (V.P. of Students)
Sat, May 12, 2012 - [Baseball]
Article Courtesy of the Tyler Morning Telegraph
 
The Tyler Junior College Apaches used a strong pitching effort from Cody Ellerbee and received a huge break in fourth inning to defeat Richland College, 10-2, in seven innings Friday in the NJCAA Division III District C tournament at Mike Carter Field.
 
The winner of the tournament will advance to the NJCAA Division III World Series hosted by Tyler Junior College and SporTyler on May 19-24.
 
Tyler (34-18) will play North Lake College at 3 p.m. today, while Richland (30-25) will play Eastfield in an elimination game at noon.
 
The Apaches scored five unearned runs in the top of the fourth.
 
Taylor Drolette doubled with one out and Hunter Sutton was hit by a pitch with two outs.
 
Richland pitcher Chadd Flick looked to be out of the inning after striking out Jermey Christian swinging, but the catcher made an errant throw that allowed Drolette to score and Sutton to move to third on the play.
That's when the flood gates opened.
 
Catcher Trevor Clifton singled to score Sutton and Connor Lewis followed with a single just over the Thunderducks shortstop to score Clifton and Sutton for a 5-0 advantage. Nico Warren ended the scoring with a single scoring Lewis for a 6-0 lead.
 

Ellerbee did the rest, allowing six hits and two runs for the shortened complete game due to the run rule.

Richland scored two runs in the top of the seventh when Juan Gomes reached on an error and scored when Kenny Hutchison doubled and Jonathan Armijo singled for the final score of 10-2.

The Apaches manufactured a run in the first when Lewis singled to center field and was sacrificed to second by Warren. After a wild pitch advanced Lewis to third base, Esteban Hernandez followed with a sacrifice fly to right for a 1-0 lead.
 
Tyler added two runs in each of the sixth and seventh innings.
 
Lewis singled to right and stole second, Warren slapped an 0-2 pitch to score Lewis for a 7-0 lead and Hernandez singled to score Warren for a 8-0 advantage through six.
 

Sutton opened the seventh with a single and Christian followed with a double to right-center. Sutton and Christian scored on a wild pitch for a 10-0 lead going to the bottom of the seventh.

The Apaches had three players with three hits - Lewis, Moran and Sutton.

David Lee and Hutchison had two hits each for the Thunderducks.

-

Tyler 10, Richland College 2

NJCAA Division III District C Tournament

At Mike Carter Field

Tyler 100 502 2 - 10 14 1

Richland 000 000 2 - 2 6 1

Cody Ellerbee and Trevor Clifton; Chadd Flick, Colby Bryant (4), Ken Wallentine and John Rinn.

W - Ellerbee. L - Flick.

2B - TJC: Taylor Drolette, Hunter Sutton, Jermey Christian. RC: Kenny Hutchison.

RECORDS - Tyler 34-18; Richland College 30-25.

NEXT UP - Tyler vs. North Lake, 3 p.m. today; Richland vs. Eastfield, noon today.
 

North Lake 12, Eastfield 0

The North Lake Blazers erupted for seven runs in the fourth inning and defeated Metro Athletic Conference champion Eastfield College, 12-0, in the opening round of the NJCAA Division III District C Tournament on Friday at Mike Carter Field.
 
Eastfield (35-19) will play Richland in an elimination game at noon today, and North Lake (29-22) will play host Tyler at 3 p.m. in the winners bracket.
 
The No. 4 seeded Blazers took advantage of six Eastfield errors and scored seven runs in the fourth inning, as TJ Richards emptied the bases with a triple and Kirby Campbell followed with a triple that plated two North Lake runners later in the inning.
 
Eastfield had the bases loaded, but Landon Zier served a fielder's choice to end the contest with a run rule at the end of five innings.
 
Richards got the Blazers on the scoreboard in the third inning of a scoreless game.
 

With two outs, Richards hit a line drive to center field and the Harvesters outfielder slipped and the ball sailed over his head to score Marvin Fight and Richards beat the throw home for an inside-the-park home run.

-

North Lake 12, Eastfield 0 (5 innings)

NJCAA Division III District C Tournament

At Mike Carter Field

North Lake 002 73 - 12 10 0

Eastfield 000 00 - 0 5 6

Landon Zier and Tommy Todar. Blake Oliver, Ryan (4) and Jordan Hebert.

W - Zier. L - Oliver.

2B - NL: Kirby Campbell. 3B - NL: TJ Richards, Campbell. HR - NL: Richard (third inning, one on).

RECORDS - North Lake 29-22; Eastfield 35-19.

NEXT UP - North Lake vs. Tyler, 3 p.m. today; Eastfield vs. Richland, noon today.

-

2012 NJCAA Division III Baseball

District C Tournament Schedule

Mike Carter Field, Tyler

May 11-13

Seeding

1. M.A.C. Champion - Eastfield College

2. M.A.C. Runner-Up - Richland College

3. Tyler Junior College

4. North Lake College

Friday

Game 1 - Tyler 10, Richland 2, 7 innings

Game 2 - North Lake 12, Eastfield 0, 5 innings

Saturday

Game 3 - Richland (30-25) vs. Eastfield (35-19), noon

Game 4 - Tyler (34-18) vs. North Lake (29-22), 3 p.m.

Game 5 - Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 6 p.m.

Sunday

Game 6 - Championship Game, noon

Game 7 - Championship Game (if necessary), 3 p.m.

Fri, May 11, 2012 - [Baseball]
The Tyler Junior College Apaches are hosting the District C Baseball Tournament beginning today at Mike Carter Field. Three key players for the Apaches are (from left) Nico Moran, a sophomore center fielder from Longview; Trevor Clifton, a sophomore catcher from Cypress; and Taylor Drolette, a sophomore right fielder from Hutto. (Phil Hicks | Tyler Morning Telegraph)
  
Courtesy Phil Hicks - www.etfinalscore.com
 
A berth in the NJCAA Division III World Series is on the line this weekend as the District C Baseball Tournament unfolds at Mike Carter Field.
 
Three teams from the Metro Athletic Conference and independent Tyler Junior College will battle in a double-elimination tournament.
 
The winner advances to the NJCAA Division III World Series, which begins May 19 also at Mike Carter Field.
 
No. 3 seed Tyler Junior College (33-18), which is ranked No. 4 in the nation, opens play at 3 p.m. today against No. 2 seed Richland College (30-24). The second game is on Friday as No. 1 seed Eastfield (35-18), which is ranked No. 5 in the country, takes on North Lake College (28-22).
 
The tourney continues on Saturday with the championship slated for Sunday.
 
Eastfield, as MAC champion, and Richland, as MAC runner-up, automatically advanced to the tourney, but both TJC and North Lake had to win play-in series.
 

The Apaches swept Brookhaven College 2-0 in a best-of-three series last week, winning 2-1 and 14-4.

In the second game against Brookhaven, the Apaches had 17 hits as their bats got going.
 
"Offensively, the last two or three weeks … we are seeing the ball better and getting good at-bats," TJC coach Doug Wren said. "We have had some good at-bats and hope it carries over to this weekend."
 
Taylor Drolette leads the Apaches with a .352 average, followed by Jon McManemin (.337), Nico Moran (.327), Conner Lewis (.323) and Tyler Ernest (.321).
 
The Apaches have won six straight. TJC won two of three games with Richland, winning 17-2 on Feb. 5 in Dallas and splitting a doubleheader April 2 in Tyler - falling 5-1 and winning 6-2.
 
North Lake advanced by defeating North Arkansas 2-1, dropping an 11-8 game before rebounding for 10-2 and 8-0 victories in Harrison, Ark.
 
"The last 10 to 12 years, one of the teams representing this district has a great chance of winning the national championship; and we are excited about potentially being one of those teams," Wren said.
 
The District C champion has captured the national title eight out of the last 11 seasons including last year when Eastfield took the crown. Tyler finished second in 2010 and won it all in 2007.
 
If TJC wins today, the Apaches will play at 3 p.m. Saturday. However, a loss means TJC will play at noon in an elimination game.
 

SMOKE SIGNALS: Two teams have already qualified for the World Series - Montgomery College-Germantown, Md. (30-26) and Northern Essex Community College, Mass. (27-7).

 
Fri, May 11, 2012 - [Women's Tennis]
Courtesy Phil Hicks - www.etfinalscore.com
 
With the team championship secured, the Tyler Junior College Apache Ladies tennis team went for the individual hardware on Thursday.
 
The Apache Ladies captured three national titles with Kerrie Cartwright the big winner as she won championships in both singles and doubles as the NJCAA Women's National Tennis Tournament concluded its five-day run on the TJC campus.
  
Tyler's Kerrie Cartwright returns the ball to Cowley County's Diana Davitaia during their singles championship match on Thursday in Tyler. (Christopher R. Vinn | Tyler Morning Telegraph)
 
Cartwright, the No. 2 seed, won in Flight 1 singles over No. 1 seed Diana Davitaia of Cowley County (Kan.), 6-2, 6-2.
 
The freshman from Nassau, Bahamas, then teamed with Audrey Leitz, a sophomore from Nimes, France, to capture the Flight 1 doubles crown. The TJC pair, seeded No. 1, topped off their undefeated season with a 7-5, 6-2 win over the State College of Florida team of Mariana Palacios and Laurence Porry.
 
"It feels great," Cartwright said. "I don't know what words there are to express how I feel.
 
"There are always small obstacles to overcome, but you still have to stay focused; and we came through as a team."
 
TJC's Ariana Saldana, a sophomore from Cedar Park, won Flight 5, a 6-4, 6-3 win over Ketevan Okruashvilli of ASA (N.Y.) College.
 

"It's a pretty good feeling just to know I helped my team with that extra point if we needed it," Saldana said.

In the final team totals, the Apache Ladies finished with 47 points as they won their third straight national championship, clinching on Wednesday. It was also the school's 16th women's national title.
 
State College of Florida placed second with 42 points, followed by ASA (35), Cowley County (31.5) and Broward (31).
 
TJC interim coach Dash Connell, who took over the program in August when longtime coach John Peterson retired, was named Coach of the Year.
 

The Apache Ladies never faltered during the season as they were preseason No. 1 and finished on top.

"There was a lot of pressure, especially the first day of the tournament," said Connell, who was a 2003 All-American at TJC. "Being at home and then in the newspaper you say we are No. 1 and tell everyone to come out and watch the girls. They had to live up to that and they did a great job of living up to that on and off the court, acting like champions. They did a great job of dealing with that pressure."
 
The Apache Ladies finished second in the four other singles flights and second in Flight 3 doubles.
 
Other singles champions were Flight 2: Mariana Palacious of State College of Florida; Flight 3: Lai Wei of State College of Florida; Flight 4: Ann Porry, State College of Florida; and Flight 6: Ievgeniia Kostenko (6), ASA.
 
Other doubles champions were Flight 2: Porry-Wei, State College of Florida; and Flight 3: Kostenko-Tetiana Kovalska of ASA.
 
For Leitz, another national championship was icing on the cake.
 
"I am very happy about my career at TJC - we just won our second national championship," said Leitz, who hails from the south of France and had many family members in Tyler this week. "I will miss this place, but I will still be black and gold at Missouri (she said she will likely sign with the Tigers)."
 
Taking the silver for TJC were: Leitz in Flight 2 singles; Nelo Phiri in Flight 3 singles; Alejandra Enderica in Flight 4 Singles; Mary Alice Blacketer in Flight 6 singles and Enderica-Phiri in Flight 3 doubles.
 
After the final match, the champions and runners-up were honored on Court 1, the Preston and Peggy Smith Court.
 
Wanda McPhail, of Meridian (Miss.) Community College, and Karen Reynolds, of Jefferson Davis (Ala.) Community College handed out the awards. McPhail was the NJCAA Women's Tennis Coaches Association Coach of the Year, while Reynolds has been the NJCAA representative at the national tournament for the last 12 years.
 
Now, it's the men's turn.
 
There is no rest for Connell as he will take the Apaches to the men's national tournament, which begins in Plano on Monday. TJC is ranked fourth in the nation.
 
NET NOTES:The 2013 women's tournament is scheduled for Tucson, Ariz., while the 2014 tournament will return to Tyler. … SporTyler and TJC were instrumental in the event coming to the Rose City.
 

---

NJCAA Women's Tennis Tournament

At JoAnn Medlock Murphy Tennis Center and Louise Brookshire Community Tennis Center,

Tyler Junior College
 
Thursday's Results
 
Singles
 

Flight 1

Championship - Kerrie Cartwright (2), Tyler, d. Diana Davitaia (1), Cowley County (Kan.) , 6-2, 6-2.
 
Flight 2
Championship - Mariana Palacious (1), State College of Florida, d. Audrey Leitz (5), Tyler, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-0.
 

Flight 3

Championship - Lai Wei (2), State College of Florida, d. Nelo Phiri (1), Tyler, 2-6, 6-1, 6-0.
 

Flight 4

Championship - Ann Porry (3), State College of Florida, d. Alejandra Enderica (1), Tyler, 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.
 

Flight 5

Championship - Ariana Saldana (1), Tyler, d. Ketevan Okruashvilli (4). ASA (N.Y.), 6-4, 6-3.
 

Flight 6

Championship - Ievgeniia Kostenko (6), ASA (N.Y.), d. Mary Alice Blacketer (1), Tyler, 6-2, 6-4.
 
Doubles
 

Flight 1

Championship - Kerrie Cartwright-Audrey Leitz (1), Tyler, d. Mariana Palacios-Laurence Porry (5), State College of Florida, 7-5, 6-2.
 

Flight 2

Championship - Ann Porry-Lai Wei (3), State College of Florida, d. Stephanie Cardullo-Ali Underhill (4), Broward (Fla.) 6-3, 7-6 (3).
 

Flight 3

Championship - Ievgeniia Kostenko-Tetiana Kovalska, ASA (N.Y.), d. Alejandra Enderica-Nelo Phiri (1), Tyler, 6-4, 6-2.
 
-
 

Final Team Totals (Day 5)

1. Tyler (Texas) - 47

2. State College of Florida- 42

3. ASA (N.Y.) - 35

4. Cowley County (Kan.)- 31.5

5. Broward (Fla.) - 31

6. Collin (Texas) - 28

7. Temple (Texas) - 25

8. St. Petersburg (Fla.) - 23

9. New Mexico Military - 18

9. Seminole State (Okla.)- 18

11. ABAC (Ga.) - 17.5

12. Eastern Arizona - 17

12. Georgia Perimeter - 17

14. Meridian (Miss.) - 16.5

15. Johnson County (Kan.) - 16

16. Pima (Ariz.) - 11.5

17. Itawamaba (Miss.) - 10.5

18. Snead State (Ala.) - 9

18. Mesa (Ariz.) - 9

20. Central Alabama - 8.5

21. Jones County (Miss.) - 7.5

21. USC Lancaster (S.C.) - 7.5

23. Seward (Kan.) - 7

24. Grand Rapids (Mich.) - 6

24. Kaskaskia (Ill.) - 6

26. Lewis & Clark (Ill.) - 5

27. Lake County (Ill.) - 4

28. DuPage (Ill.) - 2.5

29. Moraine Valley (Ill.) - 1

     
Thu, May 10, 2012 - [Women's Tennis]

Not only did Tyler Junior College celebrate a three-peat on Wednesday, it was also sweet 16.

The Apache Ladies, led by a deep and talented roster, clinched their third straight NJCAA Women's National Tennis Championship on their home court, the JoAnn Medlock Murphy Tennis Center. 
 

It was also the 16th women's national tennis title and 30th overall tennis crown. It is also TJC's 46th national championship in all sports. 

"All year they have been ranked No. 1 and everyone has been coming at them," TJC interim coach Dash Connell said. "They have dealt with that all year and they dealt with it again this week. I am very proud of them."
 

After five wins at singles on Wednesday, the Apache Ladies needed just one more victory and another championship trophy would be added to the Champions Room at the Medlock Center. 

When Alejandra Enderica, a freshman from British Columbia, won her three-setter over Ali Underhill of Broward (Fla.) College, the Apache Ladies clinched the title. Enderica took the semifinal match, 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-2.
 

After the fourth day, TJC has 44 points in the flighted tournament. State College of Florida, based in Bradenton, Fla., is second at 37, but the Manatees can achieve only six additional points today. Two years ago in Tucson, Ariz., the Apache Ladies clinched a day before the national tournament concluded.

"Not every match was easy - there were some tough matches," Connell said. "We are a very deep team and that took some pressure off the upper flights. The personalities of this team mixed well. 
 
"At the beginning of the year our goal was to get better each day - not win the national championship - but work each day to improve," said Connell, who took over the team in August after longtime coach John Peterson announced his retirement. "This team worked extremely hard. Work ethic was a big part of the success of this team."
 

The Apache Ladies started the day with 36 points with State College of Florida at 30.5 and Broward at 30.

As the beautiful East Texas day unfolded, the wins continued to mount for the Apache Ladies.
 
TJC's Audrey Leitz started things off with a semifinals win at Flight 2, followed by teammates Kerrie Cartwright (Flight 1), Nelo Phiri (Flight 3), Ariana Saldana (Flight 5) and Mary Alice Blacketer (Flight 6). That set up the Enderica's clincher in Flight 4.
 
The Apache Ladies also won two of their three doubles semifinals - Cartwright-Leitz in Flight 1 and Enderica-Phiri in Flight 3.
 
The only loss for TJC was in Flight 2 doubles where Blacketer-Saldana fell to the State College of Florida team of Ann Porry and Lai Wei, 2-6, 6-0, 6-3.
 
With the national championship safely in their corner, the Apache Ladies will try for first-team All-American as they are in eight of nine finals today, including all six singles title matches. Netters achieve first-team All-America status by winning their flight.
 
"I told the team you've done your job for the school, now you can be selfish and play for yourself," Connell said. "… play for yourself and for that first-team All-America."
 
The singles finals are scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. with the doubles championships slated to start at 11:30 a.m. Admission is free to the tournament.
 
The trophy presentations are scheduled following the completion of the doubles competition. The ceremony will take place on Court 1.
 

SMOKE SIGNALS: The Murphy Tennis Center is located at 1030 S. Palmer Avenue on the TJC campus. … The men's tournament is May 14-18 at Collin College in Plano. … The tournament draws can be found on apacheathletics.com.  … A total of 29 teams are competing with the schools from Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Georgia, New York, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Arizona and South Carolina attending. … The 2013 women's tournament is scheduled for Tucson, Ariz., with the event returning to Tyler in 2014.

 

NJCAA Women's National 

Tennis Tournament

JoAnn Medlock Murphy Tennis Center and Louise Brookshire Community Tennis Center

Tyler Junior College

Wednesday's Results

Singles

Flight 1

Semifinals - Diana Davitaia (1), Cowley County (Kan.) d. Kristina Kinarkina, Collin College, 6-2, 7-5; Kerrie Cartwright (2), Tyler, d. Greta Veinberga (3), St. Petersburg (Fla.), 6-4, 6-4.

Championship - Davitaia vs. Cartwright, 8:30 a.m.

Flight 2

Semifinals - Mariana Palacious (1), State College of Florida, d. Stephanie Cardullo (7), Broward (Fla.), 6-1, 6-7 (4), 6-4; Audrey Leitz (5), Tyler, d. Maja Sasa, Eastern Arizona,  6-2, 6-1.

Championship - Palacious vs. Leitz, 8:30 a.m.

Flight 3

Semifinals - Nelo Phiri (1), Tyler, d. Ana Liera (5), Broward (Fla.), 6-1, 2-6, 6-2; Lai Wei (2), State College of Florida, d. Idia Amen (7), Georgia Perimeter, 6-4, 6-1.

Championship - Phiri vs. Wei, 8:30 a.m.

Flight 4

Semifinals - Alejandra Enderica (1), Tyler, d. Ali Underhill, Broward (Fla.), 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-2; Ann Porry (3), State College of Florida, d. Kristin Richardson (2), Cowley County (Kan.), 6-3, 6-2.

Championship - Enderica vs. Porry, 8:30 a.m.

Flight 5

Semifinals - Ariana Saldana (1), Tyler, d. Mariah Vargas (3), Cowley County (Kan.), 6-0, 6-0; Ketevan Okruashvilli (4). ASA (N.Y.), d. Abby Martinez (2), State College of Florida, 6-2, 6-2.

Championship - Saldana vs. Okruashvilli, 8:30 a.m.

Flight 6

Semifinals - Mary Alice Blacketer (1), Tyler, d. Lacey Lapp (3), State College of Florida, 6-1, 6-1; Ievgeniia Kostenko (6), ASA (N.Y.), d. Regan Perme (4), Collin County, 6-2, 6-2.

Championship - Blacketer vs. Kostenko, 8:30 a.m.

Doubles

Flight 1

Semifinals - Kerrie Cartwright-Audrey Leitz (1), Tyler, d. Kristina Kinarkina-Zinnia Leamana (6), Collin County, 6-2, 6-4; Mariana Palacios-Laurence Porry (5), State College of Florida d. Zsofia Biro-Diana Davitaia (2), Cowley County (Kan.), 6-3, 6-4.

Championship - Cartwright-Leitz vs. Palacios-Porry, 11:30 a.m.

Flight 2

Semifinals - Ann Porry-Lai Wei (3), State College of Florida, d. Mary Alice Blacketer-Ariana Saldana (1), Tyler, 2-6, 6-0, 6-3; Stephanie Cardullo-Ali Underhill (4), Broward (Fla.) d. Lexie Maytubby-Mariah Vargas (2), Cowley County (Kan.), 6-2, 7-5.

Championship - Porry-Wei vs. Cardullo-Underhill, 11:30 a.m.

Flight 3

Semifinals - Alejandra Enderica-Nelo Phiri (1), Tyler, d. Amanda Angulo-Paula Garcia (6), Broward (Fla.), 6-2, 6-2; Ievgeniia Kostenko-Tetiana Kovalska, ASA (N.Y.), d. Sandra Pickerill-Kelsey Reblin (3), Collin County, 6-3, 6-1.

Championship - Enderica-Phiri vs. Kostenko-Kovalska, 11:30 a.m.
 
Tue, May 8, 2012 - [Women's Tennis]
Courtesy Tyler Morning Telegraph
 
If you are from East Texas and picked up a tennis racquet sometime in your life, you more than likely have met Robert Rhodes.
 

Rhodes is the friendly gentleman who greets you at the tournament headquarters and calmly answers questions and offers encouragement to all the tennis players, their families and coaches.

 

He has done so since the early 1980s. He actually retired from his posts overseeing the adult and junior tennis events in East Texas in the fall, but he was urged to serve as tournament director for this week's NJCAA Women's National Tennis Tournament at Tyler Junior College.

It is the fourth time he has served in that capacity.
 
It didn't take a lot coaxing as Rhodes has had a lifelong love affair with tennis.
 
"I grew up in Van, which had a strong tennis program for a small-town school, and still does," Rhodes said. "There were summer tennis programs with quality instruction. I believe I started playing in about the fifth grade. Ron Tankersley and I almost won two high school state championships in doubles."
 

Family

That love of the game was also embraced by his family.

He and his wife Diane have three daughters - Ronna Morrison of Tyler, Renna Embry of Tyler and Reesa Miller of Austin. All were championship junior tennis players and were instrumental in the Robert E. Lee High School team tennis success.
 
They also have seven grandchildren - Meg Morrison of Tyler; Mason, Dylan, and Ella Rose Embry of Tyler; and Maya, Miles and Audrey Miller of Austin.
 

Tournament Time

When away from the tennis courts, Rhodes, a Van High School and University of Texas at Austin graduate, worked in human resources for GE, Trane and American Standard in Tyler a total of 43 years, retiring in 2008.

But his side job was directing some of the top tournaments in the area.
 
"I was asked in 1984 to be tournament director of the East Texas Open," he recalled. "It was intended to be a one-year assignment, but I wound up directing U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) junior and adult tournaments headquartered at Tyler Tennis and Swim for the next 28 years. About 200 tournaments later, I finally called it quits after our junior qualifying tournament last November."
 

Why Tennis?

"I never was that competitive as a junior player, but I loved meeting new friends from other communities through tennis," Rhodes said. "Years later, all of my daughters participated in high school and USTA tournaments; and two competed at the collegiate level. I loved watching them play, sharing their exhilaration when they won and their disappointments when they lost. Those were vicarious moments for me, and I still treasure them."
 

Giving Back

After retiring from his job, Rhodes wanted to stay busy.

"I was asked to serve on the board of directors of the Texas Wounded Warrior Foundation here in Tyler about two years ago," he said. "It's been a remarkably rewarding experience for me personally. With great support from the community, our board tries to provide much-needed help for U.S. military personnel who have been severely wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan. Most are amputees, and many have lost two or more limbs. So often, those who are hurting and their families don't get their government benefits in a timely manner, and that's when the Texas Wounded Warrior Foundation steps in. We also have an annual event for about 40 wounded warriors that includes a pro-am golf tournament and a weekend of R&R."
 

NJCAA Tournament

Some of the top tennis players in the country will be in Tyler this week and Rhodes is looking forward to the competition.
 
"There hasn't been a NJCAA national tournament here since 2001, if I remember correctly," Rhodes said. "It will be a treat for the Tyler tennis community."
 
Rhodes said fans can expect to see championship tennis.
 

"(Fans can expect) five days of quality collegiate tennis," Rhodes said. "TJC has 16 championship courts for hosting this event, and 30 junior college Division I teams from around the country will bring some outstanding talent - not that different really from university level Division I players."

For more information on the Texas Wounded Warrior Foundation call 903-918-2210 or visit their website http://txwoundedwarrior.com, email info@txwoundedwarrior.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or write to: Texas Wounded Warrior, 4301 Fillbrook Lane, Tyler, Texas 75707
 
Tue, May 8, 2012 - [Women's Tennis]
Courtesy Tyler Morning Telegraph
 
All six Tyler Junior College singles entries breezed to wins as all the top seeds hit the courts during the second day of the NJCAA Women's National Tennis Tournament.
 

After the final point on Monday, ASA (N.Y.) College leads with 24 points, followed by Broward (Fla.) (23), Temple (Texas) (22), State College of Florida (20), Collin (Texas) College (19.5), St. Petersburg (Fla.) (19, Tyler (18) and New Mexico Military (18).

 
Action continues today at 8 a.m. with the top seeds in each singles flight in action. The top doubles teams will also get into some action for the first time in the afternoon, including three TJC No. 1 seed teams of Kerrie Cartwright-Audrey Leitz (1 p.m. in Flight 1), Mary Alice Blacketer-Ariana Saldana (2:45 p.m. in Flight 2) and Alejandra Enderica-Nelo Phiri (2:15 p.m. in Flight 3).
 
All matches are being played at the JoAnn Medlock Murphy Tennis Center and the Louise Brookshire Family Tennis Center on the campus of TJC. Admission is free to the tournament.
 
In Flight 1 singles, Diana Davitaia, the No. 1 player in the country who plays for Cowley County (Kan.) actually had a three-setter on Tuesday, pulling out a 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 win over Salma Dahbi of Georgia Perimeter. Davitaia will now play Dominique Bruce of Temple at 8:30 a.m. today in the quarterfinals.
 
In the lower half of the draw, No. 2 seed Cartwright scored a 6-3, 6-0 win over Justyna Wojcik of Broward. She will now play No. 5 seed Laurence Porry of State College of Florida at 8:30 a.m.
 
Also, No. 3 seed Greta Veinberga of St. Petersburg meets No. 7 seed Tetiana Kovalska of ASA, while No. 4 Chloe Murphy of Seminole State (Okla.) plays Kristina Kinarkina of Collin.
 
In Flight 2, TJC's Leitz won her second match of the tourney, 6-1, 6-1 over Lauren Renner of Temple. The No. 5 seed Lietz will now face No. 4 seed Gita Niznik of ASA, a key match in the points race, at 8:30 a.m. The top seed is Mariana Palacious of State College of Florida.
 

TJC is the top seed in Flights 3 (Phiri), 4 (Enderica), 5 (Saldana) and 6 (Blacketer).

Each scored easy wins on Monday - Phiri 6-4, 6-2 over Hannah Watson of Temple; Enderica 6-0, 6-0 over Elizabeth Chapman of Kaskaskia (Ill.); Saldana 6-0, 6-0 over Olivia Cole-Encinas of Pima (Ariz.); and Blacketer 6-1, 6-0 over Aja White of Jones County (Miss.).
 
A total of 29 teams are competing with the schools from Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Georgia, New York, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Arizona and South Carolina attending.
 
It is a flighted tournament with a consolation draw (first match losers) in all divisions. The scoring in the main draw includes: the first round will be worth two points; a "bye" followed by a win is worth three points. Each additional win will be worth one point in the main draw. In the consolation draw, a win following a bye will be worth one point and a half point will be awarded thereafter.
 
The tournament continues through Thursday's championship matches.
 
SMOKE SIGNALS: The Murphy Tennis Center is located at 1030 S. Palmer Avenue on the TJC campus. The Brookshire courts are adjacent to the Murphy Center. … The men's tournament is May 14-18 at Collin College in Plano. … The tournament draws can be found on apacheathetics.com. … For the draws and results, check out apacheathletics.com.
 
Mon, May 7, 2012 - [Baseball]

2012 NJCAA Div. 3 Baseball

District C Tournament Schedule

Mike Carter Field - Tyler, TX

May 11-13, 2012
***All game to be broadcast on www.njcaatv.ihigh.com***


Seeding

1. M.A.C. Champion- Eastfield College
2. M.A.C. Runner Up- Richland College
3. Tyler Jr. College
4. Northlake College


Friday 5/11
Game 1 3:00 P.M.  #3 Seed (Tyler) def #2 Seed (Richland), 10-2 in 7-innings
Game 2 6:00 P.M. #4 Seed (North Lake) def #1 Seed (Eastfield), 12-0 in 5-innings 

Saturday 5/12
Game 3 12:00 P.M. Richland def Eastfield, 5-4
Game 4 4:00 P.M. Tyler def North Lake, 11-8
Game 5 7:30 P.M. Richland def North Lake, 4-2

Sunday 5/13
Game 6 12:00 P.M. Championship Game, Tyler def Richland, 11-1
*Tyler Junior College advances as the District C representative



Sun, May 6, 2012 - [Baseball]
The Tyler Junior College Apaches got their bats going - banging out 17 hits - to knock out Brookhaven 14-4 on Saturday, winning the Metro Athletic Conference Play-In series at Mike Carter Field and keeping their World Series bid alive. 
With the win, Tyler (33-18) advances to the District C Baseball Tournament next week at Mike Carter Field, with the winner advancing to the NJCAA Division III World Series. The Apaches won the best-of-three series with the Bears, 2-0. The four-team District C tourney begins on Friday. Tyler will join MAC teams Eastfield, Richland and North Lake, who defeated North Arkansas in their play-in series.
 
TJC won Game 1 against Brookhaven, 2-1, on Friday.
 
"We got behind 3-0, and our guys did a great job of staying focused," Apaches coach Doug Wren said. "We got a couple of big innings up, and it felt good to close out the series and move on."
 
Jeremy Christian led the Apaches with a 3 for 5 day, including four RBIs. Jon McManemin added three hits as well with two RBIs. Collecting two hits apiece were Nico Moran (2 RBIs), Estevan Hernandez (RBI), Taylor Drolette (3 RBIs) and Tyler Ernest (RBI).
 
With the Apaches the visitors for game two, Brookhaven (21-30) actually started the scoring in the bottom of the first inning. After Apaches catcher Trevor Clifton threw out Jeffrey Sealy trying to steal second, Mac James homered over the left field wall for a 1-0 lead.
 
In the bottom of the third, Apaches pitcher Payton Smith was cruising with two outs when Tyler Edwards hit a chopper to second base that took a strange bounce off the grass and landed for a single. Matt Stein was hit by a pitch, and then Garrett Hackley hit an infield ball to deep short. The throw to first bounced short, and Edwards came in to score. Ross Higier then singled to bring in Stein, and Smith left the mound with Tyler down 3-0.
 
Relief pitcher Kyle Sargent came in and walked Logan Tucker to load the bases, but then got a line drive out to left field to end the inning.
 
Tyler got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth, with Moran reaching after getting hit by a pitch, his Apache-record-setting 16th of the year.
 
McManemin followed with a single to left. Then with one out, Drolette took a full-count pitch and drilled it up the middle into center field for an RBI single. After a pop out to right, Hunter Sutton drew a walk to load the bases. Christian drove the first pitch into left field past a diving Higier, and wound up with a three-RBI triple to give Tyler the lead, 4-3.
 
"Our guys were making adjustments," Wren said of his team's four-run fourth. "A lot of what we got in that inning was just making adjustments the second time through the lineup."
 
In the bottom of the fourth Brookhaven got leadoff hitter Adonys Wright on with a single, but after a sacrifice moved him to second, Wright tried to take home on a single, and was thrown out from left field by Sutton. However, after James' single, he took third on an error on a pick-off throw, and then came home on a throwing error on a routine infield grounder to tie the game at four.
 
In the top of the sixth, the Apaches threw open the floodgates with seven runs. Ernest led off with a single for the Apaches. Sutton followed with an infield grounder that was misplayed by shortstop Logan Tucker, and then a passed ball moved the runners to second and third. Christian drilled a single to left for his fourth RBI of the game, and a 5-4 Tyler lead.
 
Justin Rhea came to the mound for Brookhaven with two on and no outs, and walked Trevor Clifton to load the bases. Moran hit a bloop double into center field to score two for a 7-4 lead. After McManemin was hit by a pitch to reload the bases, Hernandez drew a four-pitch RBI walk to make it 8-4, and Rhea left the game for reliever Frankie Valdez.
 
Valdez gave up a two-RBI stand-up double into the left field corner by Drolette, which put Tyler up 10-4. Ernest got his second hit of the inning, an RBI single to left for an 11-4 lead, and Valdez left the game. Brice Springer came in as the fourth pitcher of the inning, and got the final outs.
 
Tyler did more damage in the ninth on a fielding error, and a two-RBI double from McManemin for a 14-4 final score.
 

Smith started for the Apaches and went two and a third innings, giving up seven hits and three runs, one of those earned. Sargent pitched in relief and got the win, with 3 1-3 innings of work resulting in two hits and an unearned run. Sargent struck out two and walked one. Three other pitchers took the mound for Tyler.

"We wanted to keep our pitchers sharp, and keep them in their regular roles," Wren said. "Whether that's with one out, or Zach Aitken pitching the ninth, we just wanted to do that so they don't have a two-week layoff between the last time they pitched and next week's tournament."
 
The winner of the District C Tournament advances to the NJCAA Division III World Series, which is scheduled for May 19-25, also at Mike Carter. The Apaches won the national title in 2007 and were runners-up in 2010.
 
Sun, May 6, 2012 - [Men's & Women's Tennis]
When the NJCAA Women's National Tournament gets under way in Tyler, it will mark the first time since 1988 that the Tyler Junior College Apache Ladies will not be led by John Peterson.
 

Peterson, whose TJC men's and women's teams have a remarkable 25 national championships in his 24 years at the helm, retired in August as head coach.

 

He is not completely detached from the school and tennis, though. He is still involved with the TJC program, which is now led by John-Mark "Dash" Connell, and still retains the title of consultant. Plus, he is heavily involved in the juco tournament, which begins today and continues through the finals on Thursday.

It will be played at TJC's JoAnn Medlock Murphy Tennis Center and Louise Brookshire Family Tennis Center, two magnificent facilities that any Big 12 or Pac 12 school would be extremely happy to call their home.

That legacy of Peterson's winning ways led to these beautiful tennis centers.
 

Although he doesn't relish the limelight, he has a big shadow on tennis in Texas, nationally and internationally.

He is a member of the NJCAA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame, the NJCAA Women's Tennis Hall of Fame, and was a 2007 inductee of the Texas Tennis Coaches Hall of Fame. In December of 2000, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association named Peterson the Junior College National Coach of the Decade. He was the only coach named coach of the decade in both the men's and women's division.
 

Family

Peterson is married to the former Dorothy Driver, an accomplished tennis player herself. They have a daughter (Angie and her two sons, Brandon and Travis) and a son (Wyatt, his wife Erin and two sons. Jonathon and Louden).
 

Getting Started

The multi-sport athlete graduated from Missouri Valley High School in Iowa and Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa.
 
Peterson graduated from Buena Vista in 1967, earning four college football letters, two basketball letters, and a track letter. He was inducted into the Buena Vista College Sports Hall of Fame in 1991; and is still their fourth leading all-time rusher with 2,463 yards from 1964-1966. He also holds their school records for most points in a season (96 in 1966) and most points in a career (252 from 1963-1966). He was named to the All-Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football team in 1965 and 1966.
 

Lone Star State

After coaching and teaching at Fort Dodge High School in Iowa, he joined the U.S. Air Force in 1971, where he was stationed in Texas.
 

In 1975, he left the Air Force and went to Nimitz Middle School in San Antonio. He was the head of the athletic department, and taught middle school physical education and coached football, basketball, track and tennis. In 1979 he was named head tennis coach at San Antonio Churchill High School.

But how did he get into tennis?
 
"Getting into tennis is too long a story, but it was in my early to mid-twenties and I was hooked from day one," Peterson said.
 
His teams at Churchill were state champions in team tennis five of his eight years, and were state runners-up twice. His squads also had two third-place finishes. He noted one of the losses was to Tyler's Robert E. Lee High School.
 
He also coached state individual champions, and 27 players from his Churchill programs were awarded scholarships to play college tennis. He was named the Texas High School Tennis Coach of the Year in 1979 and 1983.
 
After his immense success at Churchill, he knew it was time for a change.
 
"I needed something new and different at that time," he said.
 

TJC

Peterson came to TJC in November, 1987, after his San Antonio Churchill squad competed in the state team tennis tournament.
 

He was brought to Tyler by the late Dr. Billy Jack Doggett, who had a love for tennis and wanted the program to continue to succeed after a high level of success from previous coaches Fred Kniffen and Robert Cox.

Doggett made a grand slam of a choice as Peterson's teams experienced great success. His men's tennis teams have won 12 national championships, and his women's tennis teams have captured 13 national championships, including winning the title the last two years.
 

In his 24 years at TJC, Peterson's overall men's tennis record is 394-101 and his women's teams are 434-88.

More than 250 of his Apaches and Apache Ladies have achieved All-America status - eight were named to the NJCAA all 20th-century team, and two made NCAA All-America.

Peterson has so many memories.
 
"All memories are special and it is hard to single out something special," Peterson said. "The last win always feels the best. (The) 1989 women going undefeated was a special group (wins over Rice, Florida State)."
 

Love of Tennis

Peterson loves the game that requires not only physical attributes, but also the mental game.
 
"I love the individuality of the sport and how the gladiator is standing all alone," he said. "Often matches are not officiated; and the player is responsible to be his own referee - I like that and think it promotes a lot of qualities that we can cherish."
 

National Tournament

There's no doubt, things will be different for Peterson this week. Still, he is ready for all the aces, smashes and winners.
 
"I am looking forward to the tournament," Peterson said. "I love to show off our community, school and our two great tennis facilities. When teams drive up to the Murphy and Brookshire tennis complex they are going to be thrilled at the opportunity to play in such a venue."
 

For Apache and tennis fans, it's been a thrill to have Peterson on their court.