Elgin Community College Wins 2015 NJCAA DI Region IV Men’s Tennis Title, Headlines All-Region Teams
The Elgin Community College men's tennis team won the NJCAA DI Region IV Championship with 20.5 points to lead the nine-team field. Elgin had two all-region first team members and singles champions In Christian De La Cruz and Dylan Keeling. The team also had two singles runner-ups and second team members (Steve Waynick and Teddy Lazopoulos) and two doubles team champs and first team members (Featherstone and De La Cruz, and Basit and Keeling). The Region IV Champion Elgin team recorded four flight winners in the tournament, two singles and two doubles. Prairie State College, who finished in second place in the DI Region IV Championship Tournament with 14.5 points, had one first and one second team player on the singles all-region team. The team fared well in doubles competition also, as Harston and Horvath won a doubles flight and were named all-region IV for doubles teams. The team of El Jai and Gomez finished runner-up in doubles play and was placed on the second team all-region team. Prairie State's Srdja Nikolic, who was the flight #1 singles champion and flight #1 doubles champion, was named the Region IV Player of the Year. Clark Halpike, the Elgin Community College head coach, was named the Region IV Coach of the Year.
2015 Division I Men's Tennis Region IV Championship
Team Standings
1. Elgin Community College (20.5*)
2. Prairie State College (14.5)
3. Oakton Community College (9)
4. College of DuPage (9)
5. Moraine Valley Community College (7.5)
6. Waubonsee Community College (6)
7. Sauk Valley Community College (1)
8. College of Lake County (0)
9. McHenry County College (0)
*Most Champions
2015 NJCAA All-Region IV - Division I
First Team - Singles
Srdja Nikolic - Prairie State College
Christian De La Cruz - Elgin Community College
James Forster - Oakton Community College
Junior Gomez - Prairie State College
Dylan Keeling - Elgin Community College
Joseph Runkle - Waubonsee Community College
Second Team - Singles
Kevin Karcynski - Moraine Valley Community College
Mike Broderick - Moraine Valley Community College
Lotfi El Jai - Prairie State College
Steve Waynick - Elgin Community College
Danny Simmons - College of DuPage
Teddy Lazopoulos - Elgin Community College
First Team - Doubles
Featherstone and De La Cruz - Elgin Community College
Basit and Keeling - Elgin Community College
Harston and Horvath - Prairie State College
Second Team - Doubles
Gan and Budzik - Oakton Community College
El Jai and Gomez - Prairie State College
Simmons and Gable - College of DuPage
Most Valuable Player
Srdja Nikolic - Prairie State College
Coach of the Year
Clark Halpike - Elgin Community College
Singles Championship Results
Flight 1 Singles
Srdja Nikolic (PSC) def. Kevin Karcynski (MVCC)
6-3 6-1
Flight 2 Singles
Christian De La Cruz (ECC) def. Mike Broderick (MVCC)
7-5 6-2
Flight 3 Singles
James Forster (OCC) def. Lotfi El Jai (PSC)
6-2 6-3
Flight 4 Singles
Junior Gomez (PSC) def. Steve Waynick (ECC)
6-1 6-0
Flight 5 Singles
Dylan Keeling (ECC) def. Danny Simmons (COD)
6-2 6-0
Flight 6 Singles
Joseph Runkle (WCC) def. Teddy Lazopoulos (ECC)
2-6 6-3 1-0
Doubles Championship Results
Flight 1 Doubles
Featherstone and De La Cruz (ECC) def. Gan and Budzik (OCC)
4-6 6-0 1-0
Flight 2 Doubles
Basit and Keeling (ECC) def. El Jai and Gomez (PSC)
6-4 6-3
Flight 3 Doubles
Harston and Horvath (PSC) def. Simmons and Gable (COD)
6-4 6-3