Emotion, excitement, electricity-all words that would describe the 2008 Junior College Women's Tennis National Championships. 35 schools traveled from twelve states to compete in this years quest to be the best junior college tennis program in the nation and it was an emotional, electric, exciting week.
The tournament is a familiar sight at the Randolph Tennis Center in Tucson, Arizona. The event has been played at the facility off-and-on for the past 10 or 15 years and that will continue. This year's tournament kicked off on May 3rd with all 35 teams in action and continued through May 9th.
Division I
Singles
In the flight 1 championship, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College's Monika Lalewicz defeated Cowley County Community College's Kasia Siwosz 6-3, 6-3.
Jessica Mezo of Laredo Community College took the flight 2 championship over Abraham Baldwin's Kedi Magakgala 6-0, 6-0.
Lee College's Stephanie Rodriguez had a tough time getting to the flight 3 championship round. In the semi-final, Ashley Longoria took Rodriguez to 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 to get to the finish. In the finals, Cisse Drame of Laredo Community College fell short against Rodriguez as well going down in defeat 6-0, 7-6(6).
Eva Sambrano of Hillsborough Community College took the flight 4 championship from Tyler Junior College's Sureena Weir 6-2, 6-3.
In the flight 5 championships, Gina Solis of Collin County Community College took the win from North Central Texas' Kylie George.
Lee College's Audrey Hernandez had a fairly easy time working through the field of competitors until it came time to meet Collin County's Mandy Bowling in the flight 5 championship match. Bowling had gone 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 against Hillsborough's Brittney Bowden in the semi-final and was now getting ready to meet Hernandez for the final. Hernandez came out on top going 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 for the win.
Doubles
Laredo's Loriane Favoretto and Jessica Mezzo defeated doubles teams from Florida Community College- Jacksonville, Collin County Community College, Barton County Community College, Abraham Baldwin to get to the championship game. Lee College's Natalie Araya and Anna Djananova went through the teams of Cecil Community College, Mississippi Gulfcoast Community College, Broward, and Cowley County to meet Laredo in the final match-up. Mezzo and Favoretto took the championship over Araya and Djananova 3-6, 6-0, 6-4.
In the flight 2 doubles, Nadia Solomon and Brittanee George of North Central Texas defeated Collin County's Jacklyn Lahari and Cally Woerner 7-6(3), 6-2 after having a fairly easy time against the field of some of the nations best.
The explosive team of Eva Sambrano and Katherine Laine of Hillsborough took the flight 3 doubles championship over Barton County's Nyska Etienne and Shea Schmidt 6-4, 6-1.
Division III
SIngles
Eastfield College's Sofia Molina took the flight 1 championship over DuPage College's Abigail Conover 6-4, 0-6, 6-2.
Rock Valley's Sarah Rapp defeated DuPage College's Jennifer Green 6-1, 6-3 for the flight 2 championship.
DuPage College's Alyssa Arnold took College Ocean County's Caitlyn Lawrence 6-0, 6-1 in the flight 3 championship.
In the flight 4 championship it was Brookdale Community College's Skye Rubel over Oxford College's Maggie Dancel 7-6(2), 7-5.
Once again, a DuPage College player takes the championship, this time it was the flight 5. Jacquelyn McMahaon defeated Alexandra Van Meurs of the Technology Fashion Institute 6-0, 6-1.
For the flight 6 championship, it was Dupage College's Rebecca Davis over Kimberly Leidner of the Technology Fashion Institute 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-1.
Doubles
In the flight 1 doubles championships, Stephanie Krupa and Jessica Spina of Gloucester County College took the finals 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 over Eastfield College.
Dupage College's Alyssa Arnold and Blaire Hufford defeated Brookdale Community College's Skye Rubel and Dominique Califano 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-4 for the flight 2 doubles championship.
DuPage College took the flight 3 doubles as well. Ashley Shanahan and Jacquelyn McMahon defeated Ocean County College's Kimberly Leidner and Alexandra Van Meurs 6-1, 6-0.
