Tigers Win Third Straight GAC Men's Tennis Championship

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - The Ouachita Baptist men's tennis team became the first program in Great American Conference history to win three straight tournament titles - in any of the league's 13 sports - as the Tigers defeated East Central, 5-2, on Saturday at the Memorial Park Tennis Complex.

The three-peat comes at the end of a challenging season for the Tigers. It was the first time in the three-year run that the Tigers had not finished the rgular season undefeated in conference play. The Tigers had only one confernce vicotry this season. Head Coach Craig Ward was quick to point out the significance of this year's championship.

"In my twenty five years this is one of the finest groups of guys I have ever coached," Coach Ward said. "The year began with many challenges but ended great."

He added, "It would have been easy at any time to quit but these guys committed themselves to give 100% physically, mentally, and emotionally."

Ouachita Baptist beat East Central for the title for the third consecutive year. OBU opened the title showdown by claiming two victories in the doubles matches. The Central Region's top-ranked doubles teams of Marko Boskovic and Vitor Oliveira won 8-4 at the No. 1 position. After dropping the point at No. 3 doubles, the team of Maciej Braciszewicz and Teodor Anghel Valentin won a marathon match at No. 2, winning 9-8 and 7-2 in the tiebreaker.

ECU's Stefan Schodlbauer leveled the match at 2-2 with a 6-0, 6-0 win from the No. 5 position. The lethal tandem of Boskovic, the league's Player of the Year, and Oliveira, a First-Team All-GAC choice, scored singles victories at the No. 1 and and No. 2 positions to pull the Tigers to within one point the title.

One day after clinching the semifinal victory against top-seeded Southeastern Oklahoma State, Braciszewicz had the opportunity to lock up the title for the Tigers on his racket. Despite not featuring the same drama as on the Friday, the matched ended in similar fashion as Braciszewicz's teammates leapt over the fence to embrace their comrade as he scored a straight-set victory, 6-3, 7-5.

Coach Ward was pleased with how the Tigers grew as a team this season. He pointed out that as a group, the players were honest with each other about weaknesses and that they weren't pointing fingers after losses, instead commiting to not throwing in the towel and giving up the season..

"In the end we won a conference championship beating two teams we had lost to in the regular season," he said. "All the commitment and effort paid off. This was a life lesson they will never forget."

Coach Ward added, "It was a privilege to be a part of this team."

To watch the Post Championship Interview with Ouachita Tiger Teodor Anghel Valentin, click here.

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