Posted: May 10, 2019
As the Roadrunner Men's Tennis team prepares for the NJCAA Division III National Championships in PeachTree City, GA on May 10-12, 2019, head coach Brian Rowan hopes his team continues its late-season surge coming off a successful Region XIX Tournament.
RCGC edged out a tough Ocean County College squad last weekend at Mercer County Park to repeat as Region XIX champions.
The Roadrunners are clearly peaking at the right time of the 2019 season. In the Region XIX singles competition, sophomore Paulo Claure won the No. 2 singles crown, J.P. Ciliberto won at No. 3, freshman Jake Carlson was victorious at No. 4 and sophomore Zach Carr grabbed the No. 5 crown. In doubles action, Claure and Ciliberto teamed to win the second doubles title while Carr and freshman Dylan Kelly were champions at third doubles against Ocean, which proved to be the clinching win.
"It was a really special day for us as the team played their best tennis at the right time," said Coach Rowan. "Our sophomore group of Zach (Carr), Paulo (Claure) and J.P. (Ciliberto) were outstanding in both the leadership area and on court."
Now all eyes are focused on PeachTree City, GA, site of the NJCAA National Championship Tournament. The competition will again be rock solid at PeachTree. Oxford-Emory (Georgia) will be chasing its fifth straight team championship and will provide a host of top-notch players into the competition.
The Runners placed second in the nation last season, Rowan-Gloucester earned two runners-up finishes in both the No. 2 and No. 3 Doubles Flight. Paulo Claure finished as a runner-up in both the No. 4 Singles Flight and the No. 2 Doubles Flight while Zach Carr placed second in the No. 5 Singles Flight and the No. 3 Doubles flight.
Claure and his teammates are excited to return to the National Championships.
"This is the best we've been playing all season and we will need to be at our best for Nationals," said Claure, the 2019 Region XIX No. 2 Singles champion. "It will be exciting to compete against players from around the country."
"This is the best we've been playing all season and we will need to be at our best for Nationals," said Claure, the 2019 Region XIX No. 2 Singles champion. "It will be exciting to compete against players from around the country."
Check back for updates throughout the tournament.