Broncos, Lady Broncos top Sul Ross State

NMMI Sports Press
MIDLAND, Texas — The NMMI tennis teams’ third day facing four-year schools finally ended in a pair of victories, as both the men and women came home with wins.
The Broncos topped the Lobos 6-3, losing the No. 6 singles and No. 3 doubles by default because Hector Rodriguez was in New York with the Institute choir.
Men’s coach William O’Connell said the match wasn’t quite as easy as the scores indicated, noting “It was good tennis all the way around.
“One and two were solid as usual, but Cito, Dave and Brian played extremely well today,” he said. “It was a good team win where everybody rebounded after the disappointing one yesterday, and they came out and played hard, which is nice.”
With the Lady Lobos short two players, Lady Bronco head coach Dan O’Connell mixed things up, especially in doubles.
“I knew they didn’t have a No. 3 doubles team, so I moved my No. 1 to No. 3 and I gave Amanda (Hawkins) and Kasia (Rosikon) a chance to play No. 2 doubles, and they won, which was really good. They both did really well.”
That was the first win of the season for Rosikon — the cross-country runner who’s part of an exchange program with tennis — and she came close to a victory in singles.
“In singles, she was ahead in the tie breaker,” Dan O’Connell said. “She had set points, but lost the tie breaker, then she lost in the second set also. But she played very well. It was good experience for her.”
Hawkins battled even closer in her singles match, taking the No. 3 Lady Lobo to three sets.
The Lady Broncos will travel to Henderson State College in Arkansas during Spring Break for two days of scrimmaging at the school that has offered scholarship to two NMMI players, then both teams will be back in action March 31 in Oklahoma.
Men
NMMI 6, Sul Ross State 3
Singles
No. 1, Herman Abban, NMMI, def. Todd Barajas, SRS, 6-1, 6-4
No. 2, Noureldin Adam, NMMI, def. Brian Arriaga, SRS, 6-1, 6-1
No. 3, Tebatibunga Bira, NMMI, def. Jason Martinez, SRS, 6-4, 7-5
No. 4, Dave Romero, NMMI, def. Juan Samaguey, 6-2, 7-5
No. 5, Damian Blanco, SRS, def. Brian Collier, NMMI, 6-4, 6-2
No. 6, Gunner Gardner, SRS, win by default
Doubles
No. 1 Abban/Adam, NMMI, def. Barajas/Arriaga, SRS, 8-3
No. 2 Romero/Bira, NMMI, def. Boatright/Martinez, SRS, 8-4
No. 3, Samaguey/Blanco, SRS, default
Women
NMMI 5, Sul Ross State 1
Singles
No. 1, Thea Minor, NMMI, def. Hanna Schulz, SRS, 6-1, 6-0
No. 2, Lorraine Banimataku, NMMI, def. Marissa Rodriguez, SRS, 6-3, 6-3
No. 3, Amanda Hawkins, NMMI, def. Annette Posada, SRS, 6-7, 6-4, 10-5
No. 4, Heather Arias, SRS, def. Kasia Rosikon, NMMI, 7-6, 6-1
Doubles
No. 1 Nyarko/Pulusphene, NMMI, def. Schulz/Rodriguez, SRS, 8-3
No. 2 Hawkins/Rosikon, NMMI, def. Arias/Posada, SRS, 8-3