SHAW CROWNED CIAA MEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONS FOR THE 5TH STRAIGHT SEASON
Petersburg, VA - (April 18, 2009) The Bears of Shaw University claimed their fifth consecutive CIAA men's tennis championship on the final day (Saturday) of the 2009 CIAA Spring Championships held on the campus of Virginia State University. Shaw dominated the men's tournament by winning each of the three doubles and six singles flights for a maximum team score of 54 points.
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| 2009 CIAA Men's Tennis
Champions Shaw University |
In the last match of the Tournament, the number one seeds faced each other as Alexandre Lord-Andrade defeated Jason Stuckey of Johnson C. Smith University in exciting play 6-1, 6-0. The men's team stormed the court as the win finalized the dream of a 5th straight CIAA Championship title. With honors continuing, Lord-Andrade was named as the 2009 CIAA Men's Tennis Tournament MVP and the 2009 CIAA Men's Tennis Player of the Year; defending both titles from the 2008 Tournament.
Virginia State University and Johnson C. Smith University each had 39 team points, but VSU took home second place. The tiebreaker was decided by individual points in head-to-head competition between VSU and JCSU. Virginia State had 62 points and the Golden Bulls had 53 points.
Virginia Union University tallied 25 team points for a fourth place finish, Saint Augustine's College finished fifth with 22 team points, and Saint Paul's College was sixth with 10 team points.
Sunday Enitan, Head Tennis Coach, joined the team to receive the coveted Champion plaque. He said, "This team continues to play at the highest level and it has been a joy to work with each of them. We set our goals early on and the realization of them is fulfilling and amazing."
Shaw President Dr. Clarence G. Newsome stated, "The Tennis program at Shaw University is the best in the Conference and we are honored to have the outstanding student-athletes that have excelled on the courts and in the classroom. We congratulate Coach Sunday and the men and women's teams; both 2009 CIAA Tennis Champions for their accomplishments."
