Trey Burnett
PLANO, Texas – The Seward County Community College men’s tennis team competed at the NJCAA Division I Men’s Tennis Championship last week at Collin County’s tennis complex in Plano.
Seward finished fifth out of 10 teams at the tournament. Pratt won the national title, followed by Tyler and Eastern Florida State in the top three.
“This year’s group was really led by our freshmen throughout the season, and for many of them, this was their first time experiencing a tournament of this magnitude,” head coach Richy Patte said. “There’s always pressure in that opening round, especially at an event like this, and some handled it better than others. I’m proud of the way they competed, learned from the moment and continued to grow.”
Freshman Meryl Genevrier won the national title at No. 3 singles, becoming the third Saint all-time to win a singles national championship. The Paray-le-Monial, France, native joined Kylian Savary and Karlo Krolo, who were both part of Seward’s team national championship in 2022.
Genevrier opened the tournament with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Collin County’s Philippe Dau in the No. 3 singles quarterfinals. He followed with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 semifinal win over Cowley’s Luca Laurindo before defeating Tyler Junior College’s Enrico Franchi 7-6, 6-3 in the championship match.
“Meryl started the tournament with some doubt and had to battle through that until the semifinals to get his confidence back,” Patte said. “That can be a dangerous place to be because tennis is such a mental sport. Once doubt starts to grow, it can take over quickly, and before you realize it, you are playing a game that is not yours. I’m very proud of the way he pushed through that and found a way to overcome it during the tournament. He fought extremely well to win the championship at the No. 3 spot, and it was a well-deserved trophy.”
Genevrier was named a first-team NJCAA All-American and finished his freshman campaign 16-0 at No. 3 singles for Seward.
Freshman Gaspard Bicrel-Bantegny also put together a strong run at No. 1 singles, advancing to the championship match before falling 6-2, 6-4 to Tyler’s Daniel Mauricio Marincas. Bicrel-Bantegny finished as the national runner-up and earned second-team All-American honors.
“Gaspard brought a lot of experience into the tournament and started very well,” Patte said. “His attitude, level of play and focus allowed him to reach the final without spending too much time on the court, even against strong opponents.”
Sacha Martins De Melo, Eytan Miessen, Juan Luzuriaga, Theo Cabre and Lucas Barriga also competed for the Saints.
Seward also had two doubles teams win opening-round matches. Barriga and Luzuriaga won their opener at No. 3 doubles, while Bicrel-Bantegny and Cabre picked up a win at No. 1 doubles on the opening day. Both teams fell in the quarterfinals.
Miessen and Genevrier advanced to the Division I No. 2 doubles consolation final before falling to Collin County.
Division 1 Final Standings:
1. Pratt – 35
2. Tyler – 34.5
3. E. Florida – 26.5
4. Cowley – 25
5. Seward – 20
6. Weatherford – 18
7. Collin – 16.5
8. Barton – 14
9. USC Sumter – 11
10. SW Illinois – 0
