June 29, 2007

(Men: Overall Record 2-10, Conference 1-4; Women: Overall 1-10, Conference 1-3)

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. - St. Thomas men's and women's tennis teams' spirit helped them through a tough season against high quality opponents. Coach Bruce Carrington was proud of his teams' effort against some of the best NAIA and NCAA tennis programs in the country.

The men's team opened the season with a loss against NAIA 18th ranked Savannah College of Art and Design in Orlando, FL. They would fall at NCAA Division I No. 14 Florida Gulf Coast, No. 8 Northwood, national semifinalist Embry-Riddle, and NCAA Division II No. 1 Lynn University in the early part of the season.

The Bobcats picked up their first win of the season with an emphatic 9-0 win over Warner Southern in Lake Wales, FL on March 2nd. Senior Jyles Turnquest started the single matches with a 6-1, 6-1 win. He was followed by the University of Central Florida transfer junior Dustin Forman, who won 6-0, 6-1. Diego Pardes, Adam Perez, Leoric Longchallon, and Nelson Delgado all won their single matches.

In the double matches, the tandem of Turnquest and Forman made easy work of their opponent for an 8-1 victory. Paredes and Perez won a high scoring affair, 9-7, and Delgado and Longchallon would win the final match of the day 8-4.

St. Thomas would win their second game of the season, three days later at home against St. Vincent (Pa.), 9-0. Adam Perez and Leoric Longchallon both had comeback wins in their matches.

The women's team struggled throughout the season. Their lone victory came at Warner Southern on March 2nd. Leyvis Concepcion, the only senior on the team, won match one for the Lady Bobcats. Alexandra Dzuganova, Natalia Ramirez, Adrianna Montilla, and Sandra Vargas won their single matches. The double partners Concepion/Dzuganova and Ramirez/Montilla won their matches 8-3 and 8-2 respectively.

In the end, the men's and women's teams combined for three wins on the season. Although they were not as successful on the court as they would have wanted, they did well in the classroom.

The women's team finished second overall in team's GPA at St. Thomas. Two members of the women's team, Sandra Vargas and Leyvis Concepcion, made the 2007 NAIA Daktronics Scholar team. Vargas dazzled fans and defenders in the fall, leading the Lady Bobcats' soccer team to the Regional XIV tournament for the first time in seven years. Vargas just finished her second season of playing tennis. Concepcion is a senior from Hialeah, who like Vargas, just completed her second season of playing tennis for St. Thomas.

Forman, Dzuganova, and Vargas were named to the FSC All-Academic team and Concepcion made Honorable Mention.

2007 Tennis Awards
Men's Tennis
Florida Sun Conference All-Academic Team
Dustin Forman

Sports Banquet Awards
Most Valuable - Jyles Turnquest
Rookie of the Year - Dustin Forman

Women's Tennis
NAIA Daktronics Scholar Athletes Team
Alexandra Dzuganova
Sandra Vargas

Florida Sun Conference All-Academic Team
Alexandra Dzuganova
Sandra Vargas

Florida Sun Conference All-Academic Honorable Mention
Leyvis Concepcion

Sports Banquet Awards
Most Valuable Player - Natalia Ramirez
Rookie of the Year - Adriana Montilla

Female Golden Bobcat Award.....Sandra Vargas