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Posted: May 29, 2024

Prairie State repeats as Region 4 tennis champs

Prairie State repeats as Region 4 tennis champs

PARK FOREST, ILL. & PLANO, TEX. - The Prairie State College men's tennis team continued their recent dominance with a repeat Region 4 Men's Tennis Tournament championship on April 27. The Pioneers racked up 27.0 points to finish ahead of runner-up College of Lake County at 15.5 points for their second consecutive title and eighth overall. Prairie State College did not lose a match during the regular season or postseason against another Region 4 opponent. Sophomore Nick Velders, who went undefeated in 2023 en route to the No. 2 Singles championship, equaled that feat to secure the No. 1 Singles title and earn Region 4 Player of the Year honors. Donn Gobbie was named Region 4 Coach of the Year. (Recap: Prairie State)

2024 NJCAA Region 4 Division I Men's Tennis Tournament Final Results

Velders defeated Shingai Manyonga of Illinois Valley Community College by scores of 6-3, 6-3 to finish the championship run. The PSC championship train continued right on through the rest of the singles and doubles brackets, with Carlos Adrian Alcala claiming the No. 2 Singles in straight sets over Dwayne Daarol of CLC. David Voinea topped the Lancers' Evan Bernales with consecutive 6-1, 6-1 scores to win No. 3 Singles, while Sachin Vanaraja won No. 4 Singles, Marko Djukic took No. 5 Singles, and Carlos Armando Alcala was atop the No. 6 Singles field.

On the doubles side, Nick Velders and Carlos Adrian Alcala teamed up to take down the duo of Gavin Murrie & Dwayne Daarol from Lake County in No. 1 Doubles. The No. 2 doubles crown went to Voinea & Vanaraja, while Armando Alcala and Djukic combined for the No. 3 Doubles banner.

Prairie State College, College of Lake County, and Illinois Valley Community College all qualified for the 2024 NJCAA Division I Men's Tennis Championships, held May 13-17 at Collin College in Plano, Texas.

All-Region Team

First Team (Singles)
First Flight: Nick Velders - Prairie State College
Second Flight: Carlos Adrian Alcala - Prairie State College
Third Flight: David Voinea - Prairie State College
Fourth Flight: Sachin Vanaraja - Prairie State College
Fifth Flight: Marko Djukic - Prairie State College
Sixth Flight: Carlos Armando Alcala - Prairie State College

First Team (Doubles)
First Flight: Nick Velders & Carlos Adrian Alcala - Prairie State College
Second Flight: David Voinea & Sachin Vanaraja - Prairie State College
Third Flight: Carlos Armando Alcala & Marko Djukic - Prairie State College

Player of the Year
Nick Velders - Prairie State College

Coach of the Year
Donn Gobbie - Prairie State College

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At the national championships, Prairie State College finished 14th overall with 13.5 points, while College of Lake County was 22nd with 6.5 points and Illinois Valley Community College registered 2.0 points to place 27th. The biggest storyline regarding Region 4 representation at the national tournament was the No. 4 Singles Consolation Championship won by PSC's Sachin Vanaraja, who finished with an 8-3 win over Cade Teeple of Itawamba Community College. 

2024 NJCAA Division I Men's Tennis Championships Final Results 

The College of DuPage represented Region 4 at the NJCAA Division III Men's Tennis Championships in Chattanooga, Tennessee, from May 10-12. The Chaparrals finished sixth overall with 1.0 point, thanks to a 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 win by Patrick Kozbial in a No. 1 Singles Backdraw match against Timothy Schiraldi of Suffolk County Community College.

2024 NJCAA Division III Men's Tennis Championships Final Results

(Image courtesy of Prairie State College Athletics)