The East Central Community College men's tennis team had a strong showing at the NJCAA DI Tennis National Championship held in McKinney, Texas, with a solid week of play. Among a highly competitive field of 25 teams, the Warriors secured finished commendable 18th place, the fourth highest-ranking MACCC school in attendance.
In the number one doubles, Maximo Estrada and Daan Van Miltenburg faced a tough from Iowa Central, ultimately falling short with a score of 6-1, 6-1 in the opening round. However, they quickly bounced back in the consolation bracket, securing a convincing victory of 8-1 against Hinds. They were narrowly defeated by Prairie State College in a fiercely contested match that ended 9-8 in the following round.
Carson Jones and Zander Meeks, representing East Central at number two doubles, faced a tough opening match against Pratt Community College, resulting in a 6-1, 6-0 loss. The pair turned things around as they rallied in the consolation play against Bevill State, emerging with an 8-6 victory. Unfortunately, their journey ended in the quarterfinals, where they were defeated 8-1 by Jones College.
Trey Posey and Luke Sanders, the pair in the number three doubles category, started off with a big win in the opening round, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 against Louis and Clark Community College. Despite their outstanding performance, they faced a tough challenge in the second round against the fifth-seeded Iowa Central, ultimately falling with a score of 6-2, 6-0.
In the number one singles, Daan Van Miltenburg claimed a victory in the opening round against College of the Lake County, 7-5, 6-4. However, his journey was cut short in the second round as he faced the number five seed from ABAC, resulting in a 6-1, 6-4 defeat.
Maximo Estrada also made a notable impact in the first round at the number two singles slot, delivering an impressive performance with a 6-1, 6-2 win against College of the Lake County. However, he fell to the eighth-seeded player from Wallace State with a 6-1, 6-2 loss in the second round.
Luke Sanders fought in the number three singles slot but fell to Hartford Community College in the opening match, 6-1, 6-0. However, his resilience showed in consolation play, securing an 8-5 victory against Bevill State. Lewis and Clark Community College ultimately defeated him with a close score of 9-7 in the semifinals.
Carson Jones encountered the tournament at number four singles and lost to ABAC, 6-0, 6-0. In consolation play, he faced another setback, falling 8-0 to Paradise Valley Community College.
Trey Posey, occupying the number five position for ECCC, made a strong statement in the opening round with an impressive 6-0, 6-0 victory over Bevill State. However, his journey was cut short in the second round as he faced the third-seeded player from Eastern Florida State College, resulting in a 6-1, 6-0 loss.
Zander Meeks, competing at number six, opened play with a challenging match against College of the Lake County, resulting in a 6-0, 6-3 defeat. In consolation play, he suffered an 8-0 loss against Barton Community College.
Overall, the Warriors showed a lot of determination throughout the tournament in multiple flights, amassing a total of 10 team points. Their commendable performance positioned them just one and a half points behind Meridian Community College.
Final point standings:
Final Point Standings
1. Cowley - 52
1. Tyler - 47
3. Eastern Florida - 34
4. ABAC - 31
5. Collin - 30
6. Iowa Central - 28
7. Wallace St. - 24
8. Barton - 21
9. Harford - 20
10. Pratt - 19
10. Jones - 19
12. Jacksonville - 18.5
13. Paradise Valley - 17
14. USC-Sumter - 16.5
15. Mississippi Gulf Coast - 15
16. Mesa - 14
17. Meridian - 11.5
18. East Central - 10
19. Prairie St. - 9.5
20. Hinds - 9
21. Coastal Alabama - 7
21. Lewis & Clark - 6.5
23. Lake County - 2.5
24. NMMI - 2
24. Bevill St. - 2
26. Northwest Mississippi - 1