RESULTS || BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Ouachita Baptist made Great American Conference history by becoming the first team, in any sport, to win four consecutive GAC Tournament titles as the Tigers rallied to defeat Southeastern Oklahoma State, 5-3, in Saturday’s GAC Men’s Tennis Championship final from Memorial Park.
In a matchup between the top-ranked team in the NCAA Division II Central Region, OBU, and No. 4 team, the Savage Storm grabbed a 2-1 lead following the doubles portion of the title match. GAC Player of the Year Maxim Fil and partner Tiago Ferreira, the No. 6 tandem in the region, defeated Marko Boskovic and Vitor Oliveira, the region’s No. 2 team, 8-3.
OBU’s Maciej Braciszewicz and Jason Mechali bested Alberto Blesa and Jack Gibbens, 8-4 at No. 2 doubles. At No. 3, the Savage Storm team of Petar Popovic and Paul Nguyen rallied from a 7-4 hole to take down Andre Stefano and Lennart Lonnemann, 9-7.
In singles play, Southeastern’s Joaquin Aguilera registered a straight-set win against Stefano, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) for a 3-1 lead. From that match on, the Tigers would not lose again. Mechal defeated Popovic, 6-2, 6-2 and Oliveira ousted Blesa, 6-2, 6-4 to even the match.
In a contest between the GAC’s last two Players of the Year, Boskovic defeated Fil 7-6 (10-8), 6-2 to put the Tigers in front, 4-3. Lonnemann secured the championship-clinching victory as he won 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1 against Gibbens.
The Tigers will learn their postseason during the NCAA.com selection show. It airs online at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday