The Titans of St. Petersburg College spent this past week out in the desert with the mindset of "Together We Win". The Titans did exactly that by competing as one as SPC walked away with some championship recognition from the Reffkin Tennis Center during the NJCAA National Women's Tennis Tournament (May 7th-11th). St. Petersburg College won the doubles national championship as Sophomore's Naomi McKenzie and Valeriia Cherfus defeated top seeded Tyler Junior College's Lauren Anzalotta and Destinee Martins Wednesday afternoon by a score of (6-7/6-3/6-4).
The pair started their journey for a national championship by competing in the round of 16 against Barton Community College's Angelina Gnezdilova & Clara Penido winning easily (6-4/6-2). From there McKenzie and Cherfus moved on the the quarterfinals where they took down the team of Justine Lespes and Camille Belberka of Seward Community College to once again march their way to semifinal round. In the semifinals the Titans face a familiar foe from the Suncoast Conference in Hillsborough Community College. The dynamic duo dominated HCC's Mbali Langa and Viktoryia Zhadzinskaya winning (6-4/6-1) to claim a spot in the finals. The Titans had a tall task ahead in the finals as they prepared to face top seeded Apaches of Tyler Junior College. In the first set Tyler JC had the upper hand winning the first set but, momentum quickly swung to the Titans as the pair of McKenzie/Cherfus roared back to knock off the eventual national champion in the second and third sets.
Alongside the doubles crown another Titan captured a key win in SPC's Georgia Lily Lynn Browne. Georgia won #4 singles bracket by defeating Tyler Junior College's Abigail Wild 5-7/6-2/7-6. Georgia earned this acheivement by playing her way through the round 16 defeating Mesa Community College's Alethea LaCroix to advance to the quarterfinals. In the Quarterfinals, Browne took down Lucia Popluharova of Seward County College defeating Popluharvoa (6-2/7-5) to advance to the semifinal round. Browne made her presence felt in the semifinals against conference foe Mbali Langa of Hillsborough CC winning (6-3/6-2) to claim a spot in the finals where she defeated Wild to capture the #4 singles crown.
Overall St. Petersburg College finished 4th by 1 point behind Seward County College, followed Hillsborough Community College who placed 2nd, and lost to eventual National Champion Tyler Junior College. It was a great turnout as Titans Athletic Director Davie Gill was in attendance along with head athletic trainer Katie Carlton who kept the Titans hydrated and healthy throughout the tournament. It was great post-season for the Titans of St. Petersburg College as they showed why they are one of the best programs in the country at the junior college level. No doubt the Titans will be back next season better and stronger.
