MGCCC tennis looks to re-gain championship form in 2010

MGCCC’S Victoria Hagel

At one point last season, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College tennis coach Gary Bourgeois was literally pulling in people off the street to play on his team. Gulf Coast featured 11 new players in 2009, and most of those had limited playing experience. Despite the lack of competitive court time, the men’s team finished sixth at the MACJC State Tournament while the women took fourth and narrowly missed a shot at the Region 23 Tournament.

This season Bourgeois will have some familiar faces and lots of new talent to unleash on the competition.

“We feel like the men’s team will get better this fall and the women’s team should make a lot of noise at the state tournament,” Bourgeois said. “Most of our frontline players are good, and I think our younger players will get better.”

Shawn Lansdale and Lin Jacobsen are the two retuning sophomores for the men’s squad, while Travis Ladner (Gulfport), Tyler Eggers (Wiggins), Taylor Thrash (Wiggins), Alex Drake (Ocean Springs), Luke Brady (Vancleave), Chance Kelley (Northeast Jones), and Kriss Baglaris (Latvia) make up this year’s group of incoming freshmen.

The women’s squad features returning sophomores Megan Terrell and Victoria Hagel, notched a 12-1 singles record in 2009. They’ll be joined by incoming freshmen Katherine Blair (St. Martin), Brittany Freeman (Vancleave), Morgan Rabby (Wiggins), Katy King (St. Martin), and Ruta Grinvalde (Latvia).

At the recent ITA Rankings Tournament in Hattiesburg Sept. 26, Kriss Baglaris won the men’s singles consolation beating Steve Bracy of Pearl River 6-2, 6-1.

Victoria Hagel won the women’s singles consolation beating teammate Katherine Blair 6-2, 6-2, while Hagel and Ruta Grinvalde lost in the semi-finals of the women’s doubles losing to Aline Ferreira and Jessica Halterman of Meridian 8-2.

Luke Brady and Chance Kelly lost in the finals of the Men’s doubles consolation to Steven Bracey and Blake Johnson of Pearl River 8-2, and Ruta Grinvalde lost in the semi-finals of the women’s singles losing to Anna Varik of Meridian 6-0, 6-1.

Three days later, Gulf Coast took on East Central, with Kriss Baglais defeating Colton Amis 6-2,6-1. Other singles winners included Chance Kelly over Jason Hancock (6-4, 4-6, 10-8 tiebreaker), Jamie Jordan over Matt Griffin (1-6, 7-6, 10-5 tiebreaker), and Alex Drake getting by C. Marston (6-2, 7-6, 10-5 tiebreaker).

Gulf Coast will face Faulkner St. Oct. 29.