FLUSING MEADOWS, NY -- The Hunter College Hawks swept through the 2010 CUNY ATHLETIC CONFERENCE/HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY WOMEN’S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP without dropping a single match in three rounds of tournament action en route to the school's 11th consecutive title. On Saturday, #1 Hunter (15-1) easily defeated upstart #7 Baruch College 5-0 at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center to earn CUNYAC's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Championship in May 2011.
"It goes without saying that I am proud," said Hunter head coach David Eddy. "We can now turn our full attention to the NCAA Tournament in May. We're going to play several matches against National-caliber teams in the spring in advance of the ultimate goal."
In Saturday's final Hunter began the match by winning all three doubles to take the 3-0 advantage, as Epraksi Yushkova and Jane Selegean dispatched the Baruch team of Alina Bero and Marianna Kogan, 8-0, at first doubles. At #2 doubles, Jennifer Kraham and Arielle Kamin defeated Angelina Herman and Viktoriya Morozova, 8-3. In the third flight, Stefanie Smith and Ericka Jaramillo beat Ana Komar and Natasha Gregorio, 8-4.
"Individually, Jennifer [Kraham] deserves so much credit for her determination to keep the team on course on and off the court. Oh, and she played very well all weekend. Also Jane [Selegean] has been stellar. She is probably playing her best tennis right now, hitting the ball in stride and really going for her shots on the court. She has a really bright future."
After a short break, singles play got underway with the Hawks needing only two wins in six matches for the eventual victory. Hunter went on to record victories at #2 singles with Selegean topping Morozova, 6-2, 6-0 and #3 singles, fittingly as Kraham, the team's captain, defeated Anna Komar, 6-3, 6-1 to hoist the Championship trophy.
"We have a great team first philosophy on this team," said Kraham, who was named the 2010 Tournament Most Valuable Player. "We're deep and everyone contributes beneficially to our success. Not only one through six, but our entire ream and our coaches. This is the goal we work towards all year, not just the last two months. I couldn't be happier for this group," concluded the junior from East Northport on Long Island.
As per NCAA rules, the match is immediately concluded when the winning team gets to five points, in this case, leaving four singles matches unfinished. The Bearcats, who entered the tournament as the #7 seed, finish the season with a 7-10 record.
FINAL RESULTS FROM THE BILLIE JEAN KING USTA NATIONAL TENNIS CENTER
DOUBLES
#1 Epraksi Yushkova/Jane Selegean (HUNTER) def. Alina Bero/Marianna Kogan (BARUCH) 8-0
#2 Jennifer Kraham/Arielle Kamin (HUNTER) def. Angelina Herman/Viktoriya Morozova (BAR.) 8-3
#3 Stefanie Smith/Ericka Jaramillo (HUNTER) def. Ana Komar/Natasha Gregorio (BARUCH) 8-4
SINGLES
1. Epraksi Yushkova (HUNTER) vs. Angelina Herman (BARUCH) 6-0, 4-2, unfinished
2. Jane Selegean (HUNTER) def. Viktoriya Morozova (BARUCH) 6-2, 6-0
3. Jennifer Kraham (HUNTER) def. Ana Komar (BARUCH) 6-3, 6-1
4. Arielle Kamin (HUNTER) vs. Alina Bero (BARUCH) 6-1, 4-1, unfinished
5. Stefanie Smith (HUNTER) vs. Natasha Gregorio (BARUCH) 6-0, 5-2, unfinished
6. Ericka Jaramillo (HUNTER) vs. Marianna Kogan (BARUCH) 6-2, 1-0, unfinished