The 6th ranked Barton Community College women's tennis team placed third Saturday at the two-day Region VI Championships held at Great Bend's Schartz Tennis Courts in Veteran's Memorial Park.
The Cougars finished with 7.5 points, edged out for the runner-up spot in the weekend's last event of the No. 1 doubles battle as the 7th ranked Seward County's duo increased the Saints top to 8 points by defeating Cowley College's top tandem. The nation's second ranked Cowley Tiger squad won six of the nine events in capturing the team title with 15 points while 25th ranked Pratt was shutout in the point earning system.
Tshegofatso Tsiang won the Cougars' lone region title, the nation's 25th ranked player prevailing into the No. 3 flight singles finals on a 6-4, 1-6, 6-1 victory over Seward County's Ana Isabela Serrano to cap the championship with a straight set 7-5, 6-4 upset win over Cowley's' 19th ranked Isid Hernandez.
Azul Barrios was the lone other Cougar in the singles finals, advancing to the finals 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 knocking off 47th ranked Jaena Morais before falling 6-4, 6-3 to Cowley's 24th ranked Ntokozo Zungu.
In the top flight, 9th ranked Clara Penido fell 6-3, 6-0 to 6th ranked Camille Belberka of Seward County before defeating Pratt's Dominique Van Vuuren 8-4 in the third place match.
A pair of Cougars dropped hard fought three-set matches in the first round, 11th ranked Luciana Braga in the No. 2 flight dropping a 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 decision to eventual winner and 12th ranked Carol Mora of Seward County and Carmen Lyons winning the first set 6-2 of the No. 5 flight in losing the next two 7-5 and 6-2 to Seward County's Camila Corrales. Braga went on to an 8-2 victory over Pratt's Emily Ryan to claim third place while Lyons automatically finished third in the three-entrant bracket.
Ana Vasilis finished second in the sixth flight of two competitors after dropping the championship match 6-1, 6-4 to Cowley's 42nd ranked Camila Neyra.
In double's action, 9th ranked Penido/Tsiang were bounced on a 6-2, 6-4 score to Cowley's 4th ranked Alexandra Melnikova/Hernadez duo, ending the tournament in third of the No. 1 flight by pulling out a 7-4 tiebreak for a win 9-8 over Pratt's Van Vuuren/Ran.
The Braga/Barrios duo fell in the No. 2 opener 6-2, 6-4 to Seward County's Serrano/Morais then rolled in the 3rd place match by an 8-1 score over the Beavers' Nathalia Rodriguez and Olivet Shove.
With just two entries in the No. 6 singles and No. 3 doubles, Barton's third tandem of Lyons and Vasilis finished second in dropping the No. 3 doubles match final falling 6-0, 6-2 to Cowley's 19th ranked Mariia Koroleva and Neyra.
Barton now has two weeks for final adjustments and tune-ups in preparation for the NJCAA Division I National Tournament in Tyler, Texas, held May 6-10.
Complete Region VI Tournament results