The Barton Community College men's tennis team exceeded their No. 20 national ranking by placing 15th this past week at the NJCAA Division I National Tennis Championship held in Plano, Texas. The Cougars scored 12 points to conclude the 2018 season with the highest program's finish since the 12th placing by the 2014 squad.
Highlights of the week came in singles play with No. 1 player Marcel Miasato reaching the Consolation Semifinals and Thales Machado de Souza reaching the quarterfinals of the No. 5 championship bracket. Miasato's run came to an end 6-2, 6-0 to Mesa's Jorge Sala while Machado's season ended to top seeded Tyler's Drew Brown 6-1, 6-0.
Machado's exit was one of three Cougar singles players whose season ended to the top seed as Barton won at least one match in five of their singles' draws.
Miguel Valle, Jack Peoples, and Tinashe Muzenyi each won first round matches with Peoples and Muzenyi joining Machado as top seed victims while Valle went down to the tournament's sixth seed.
Valle and Peoples were the lone doubles tandem to win their first round match but were dispelled in the next round of 16 by 6-1 scores to Emanuel Mallya and Kukutla Motlojoa of New Mexico Military Institute.
Barton Singles Results
No. 1: Marcel Miasato
1st Round lost to Andres Graterol of Jacksonville College (5-7, 7-5, 6-3)
Consolation 1st round defeated Cade Pressnell of Wallace St (7-5, 6-0)
Consolation Quarterfinals defeated Marko Puric of Meridian CC (7-5, 6-3)
Consolation Semifinals lost to Jorge Sala of Mesa (6-2, 6-0)
No. 2: Juan Diego Jaimes
1st Round lost to Antoine Le Gloan of Hartford CC (6-0, 6-0)
Consolation 1st round received bye
Consolation Quarterfinals lost to Anthony Kendall of Prairie St (6-1, 6-4)
No. 3: Miguel Valle
1st Round defeated Charlie Zwolsman of Glendale CC (7-5, 6-4)
Round of 16 lost to (6) Marcel Agbegne of NM Military (6-1, 6-0)
No. 4: Jack Peoples
1st Round defeated Natnaeil Zegdeta of Prairie St (7-5, 6-3)
Round of 16 lost to (1) Alejandro Hayen of Tyler JC (6-1, 6-1)
No. 5: Thales Machado de Souza
1st Round received a bye
Round of 16 defeated Albert Smreczak of Prairie St (6-3, 6-2)
Quarterfinals lost to (1) Drew Brown of Tyler JC (6-1, 6-0)
No. 6: Tinashe Muzenyi
1st Round defeated Check Freeman of Wallace St (6-2, 6-2)
Round of 16 lost to (1) Tomas Santantonio of ASA Miami (6-0, 6-0)
Barton Doubles Results
No. 1: Marcel Miasato/Juan Diego Jaimes
1st Round lost to Lachlan Ivulich/Will Swindoll of Meridian CC (6-4, 6-1)
Consolation 1st round lost to Jordan George/Peter Kovats of Univ of SC Sumter (2-6, 6-4, 10-3)
No. 2: Miguel Valle/Jack Peoples
1st Round defeated Connor Higginbotham/Isaiah Polk of Marion (7-5, 6-2)
Round of 16 lost to Emanuel Mallya/Kukutla Motlojoa of NM Military (6-1, 6-1)
No. 3: Thales Machadode Souza/Tinashe Muzenyi
1st Round lost to Nicklaus Neal/Leonardo Zancheta of Univ of SC Sumter (6-3 6-4)
Consolation 1st round received a bye
Consolation 2nd round lost to Evan Chubb/Reid Cudd of Miss Gulf Coast (6-4, 6-3)