MCC Tennis earns a pair of tourney championships

From School Reports

Meridian Community College finished day four of the Oracle/ITA Southern JUCO Regional Tennis Championships with two champions on the men’s side. Jason Pimenta, a returning sophomore, won the Men’s Single’s Title with a win over Juan Sebastian Osorio from Copiah Lincoln Community College 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. Pimenta, the number-two seed, had a bye on Wednesday during the round of 64.  

In the round of 32, which began Thursday at 8:00 a.m., Pimenta defeated Roberto Valadez from Itawamba Community College 0, 3. In the round of 16, which was played at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, Pimenta took a 6-0, 6-1 win over Isaiah Polk from Marion Military Institute. In the quarterfinals played on Friday, Pimenta defeated John Teague Murphy from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College 6-0, 6-3. In the semifinals, which were also played on Friday, Pimenta continued to dominate with a from 6-0, 6-1 win over Daniel Yepez from Hinds Community College 6-0, 6-1.

Pimenta is the 2015 USTA/ITA Southern JUCO Regional Champion and currently holds a #19 ranking in the ITA National Rankings. Meridian’s Breno Goncalves made it to the quarterfinals.  

He, too, had a bye for the first round. He then played and defeated Ezra Blissard from ICC 6-1, 6-0. In the round of 16, Goncalves defeated MMI’s Andrew Carey 6-2, 6-1. In a long match with the regional finalist, Juan Sebastian Osorio, Goncalves lost a long and tough three setter 6-2, 4-6, 10-6. Osorio advanced to the finals with a win over his teammate, Juan Pablo Pinilla 6-1, 6-0.  

Osorio took wins earlier in the tournament over MGCCC’s Noah Tippen and Meridian’s Will Swindoll. In other action, Meridian’s John Taylor Champion and Callan Shinall lost in the consolation quarterfinals. Meridian claimed its second championship of the tournament with a win at number one doubles.  

MCC’s Jason Pimenta/Breno Goncalves, who played doubles together as freshmen, defeated MMI’s Andrew Carey/Daniel Boussom in another long third setter by a score of 2-6, 7-6 (5), 10-4. The route to the finals was not an easy one. After a rain delay on Thursday, Goncalves/Pimenta hit the courts for their third doubles match of the tournament with a matchup with CoLin’s Osorio/Juan Pinilla. 

The MCC dynamic duo pulled out a close match 8-6. Earlier in the day, the duo defeated Jaboer/Lanelarra from East Central CC 8-2. Corey/Boussom of MMI reached the finals with a 8-4 win over John Teague Murphy/Noah Rowell from MGCCC. Boussom/Carey defeated Brendon Jobe/Chris Shands 8-1 in the quarterfinals to advance. In consolation action, ECCC’s Tom Langelaar defeated Hinds’ Chris Crapps 8-6. In the doubles consolation, Cory Alderman/Tripp Case from CoLin defeated ICC’s Edson Marchant/Michael Crotts 8-6 to win the consolation bracket.  

Marion Military Institute also had double champions on the women’s side. The women’s championship match pitted Mariana Alvarez of Hinds against MMI’s Paola Bou. Alvarez, currently ranked #15 in the ITA National Rankings, lost 6-4, 6-3. Bou, who comes to Alabama from Puerto Rico, defeated teammate Makenzie Ralston in the semifinals 0, 0. Alvarez advanced to the finals with a 7-6 (4),  3-6, 10-7 win over MMI’s Alana Larcombe. Meridian’s Hayden Hill had a great tournament. She lost in the quarterfinals to Makenzie Ralston from MMI 2-6, 6-3, 10-3. Meridian’s Rachel Sollie won the consolation singles with an 8-4 win over teammate Jordyn Hull.    

In women’s doubles, Bou/Alana Larcombe breezed to a 6-1, 6-3 win over Paulina Estrada/Katie Burrall of MGCCC. Bou/Larcombe defeated the No. 1 seed from Hinds, Mariana Alvarez/Stefy Varon, 8-3 to advance to the finals. Burrall/Estrada advanced to the finals with a 9-7 win over Gyselle Daza/Laura Vargas from Copiah Lincoln. Hull/Taylor Miller of MCC won the consolation doubles with an 8-3 score over Kacie Calhoune/Jasmine Sartin of MGCCC.  

The winners of this tournament qualified to advance to the Oracle Cup (formerly known as the National Small College Championships) which will be held in Surprise, Ariz., at the Surprise Tennis Center and Racket Club October 13-16. The overall winners of the Oracle Cup receive an invite to the DI National Indoor