Tuskegee sweeps SIAC Tennis Titles
April 18, 2008
Tuscaloosa, AL – Tuskegee University claims both of the SIAC Tennis Championships. Tuskegee’s men win their 29th SIAC title while the women have won their 11th. The men’s championship is their fourth in the last five years.
 Tuskegee’s women were led by Jill Person who has dominated the SIAC over the past three years. Person and the rest of her crew quickly took care of Benedict winning easily 5-0. TU swept all of the doubles matches including a big victory by the All Tournament Doubles team of Jill Person and Francine Smith over Shani Jones and Anna Lee Clarke 8-2. Jones was added to the line up after Paola Lopez of Benedict could not play due to injury. TU would only need two victories in singles play for the title and once again Jill Person delivered. Person, the SIAC Regular Season MVP defeated DeAndra Reasonover, SIAC Freshman of the Year, 6-3, 6-0. Tuskegee continued their dominance winning their 11th title and second in the last three years. In the Consolation game Albany State defeated Clark Atlanta by default to finish in 3rd place in the tournament.
In men’s action Tuskegee won their fourth SIAC Championship in the last five years as they defeated arch rival Morehouse College 5-1. Tuskegee was led by newcomer Miguel Cabral and senior Eric Palmer, who went undefeated throughout the tournament in both their singles and doubles matches. Tuskegee took a 2-1 lead going into singles play. After a couple of heated battles Tuskegee pulled away to take the title. Palmer and Cabral finished their matches almost simultaneously leading to the celebration of champions. Cabral defeated one of the SIAC’s fiercest competitors in Ben Seagle 7-4, 6-1. Cabral, Seagle and Palmer were all named to the SIAC Singles All Tournament Team. In the Consolation game Fort Valley State defeated LeMoyne-Owen College 5-1 as they finished 3rd in the tournament.
Tuskegee doubled as champions in 2006 and both receive an automatic bid to the represent the SIAC at the NCAA Regional beginning May 8-9, 2008.
All Tournament Team:
Women:
Singles:
Jill Person Tuskegee University
Constanza Aranda Tuskegee University
Simone Green Clark Atlanta University
Tara Turner Clark Atlanta University
DeAndra Reasonover Benedict College
Tonya-Higgins-Vire Albany State University
Doubles:
Jill Person/Francine Smith Tuskegee University
Simone Green/ Tara Turner Clark Atlanta University
Paola Lopez/Anna Lee Clark Benedict College
Outstanding Coach of the Tournament: Ricky Reed (Tuskegee University)
Men:
Singles:
Miguel Cabral Tuskegee University
Kudzai Sithole Tuskegee University
Eric Palmer Tuskegee University
Ben Seagle Morehouse College
Thomas Hall LeMoyne-Owen College
Andrew Felton Fort Valley State University
Doubles:
Eric Palmer/Kudzai Sithole Tuskegee University
Ben Seagle/Tory Martin Morehouse College
Andrew Felton/Carlos Vinas Fort Valley State University
Outstanding Tournament Coach: Ricky Reed (Tuskegee University)
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