MGCCC closes out play in Texas

Mississippi Gulf Coast dropped its last two matches at the NJCAA Division I Men's Tennis Championship on Wednesday, but still had a great week in Tyler, Texas.

The Bulldogs finished 14th place in the championship, one spot behind Jones and one ahead of Meridian.

"We started out the week really hot and won some matches we weren't favored in," Gulf Coast coach Sam Blackburn said. "We also won a lot of matches we should have won. We competed really well and won some matches in the middle, but today didn't go as well as we would have liked."

Paul Gayk (Fr., Muelheim an der Ruhr, Germany/Berufskolleg Lehnerstrasse) lost his No. 1 singles quarterfinals match in the championship draw. He was defeated 6-3, 6-0 by Cowley's Takeshi Taco. It was the first games the top-seeded Taco had dropped in the tournament. 

Chace Bolan (Fr., Laurel/Northeast Jones) was playing his first match in the No. 6 singles consolation bracket. He lost to Mesa's Lukas Baruffi 8-2 in the quarterfinals. It would have been a one-point match for Bolan because he'd had a bye in that bracket.

"Paul left it all out on the court this morning," Blackburn said. "Chace didn't have his best day, but we won a lot of good matches. I wish we could have finished a little strong, but that's just how it goes sometimes."

NJCAA Division I Men's Tennis Championship

Murphy Tennis Center, Tyler, Texas

May 16-20 (All times CT)

Wednesday's Results

Championship Draw

Singles Quarterfinals

No. 1: (1) Takeshi Taco (Cowley) def. Paul Gayk (GC), 6-3, 6-0

Consolation Draw

Singles Quarterfinals

No. 6: Lukas Baruffi (Mesa) def. Chace Bolan (GC), 8-2

Final Team Standings

1. Seward                        45

2. Cowley                        43

3. Tyler                           42

4. Barton                         28

5. Collin                          27

6. ABAC                         25

7. Eastern Florida State      23.5

8. Iowa Central                 22.5

9. Pratt                            21

10. USC-Sumter               20

10. Wallace State              20

12. Paradise Valley           18

13. Jones College              16.5

14. Gulf Coast                  15

15. Meridian                    14.5

16. Mesa                          13

17. Harford                      11

18. Jacksonville                10

18. Lewis & Clark            10

20. East Central                8.5

21. New Mexico Military   7.5

22. Hinds                         5

23. Coastal Alabama         4

24. Lake County               2

25. Sauk Valley                1.5

For more information on MGCCC's 10 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.