Shaw Claims 2018 CIAA Women's Tennis Championship with 5-0 Win Over Johnson C. Smith
Morgan Hasty

Bowie, MD (April 21, 2018) – The Shaw Lady Bears (21-2) claimed their second straight Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Championship when the team took a 5-0 win over the Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls (16-11). The Lady Bears had to fend off a feisty Johnson C. Smith team to claim their second conference championship in two seasons.

“We are the defending champions so we knew what we had coming in,” Shaw head coach Sunday Enitan said. “Johnson C. Smith has a good team and we knew that they would bring their ‘A’ game and we had to match their intensity and the girls did that today.”

As expected, the match began with some thrilling play in doubles competition. The Shaw duo of Simbiat Aleem and Helene Fekete got things started with an impressive 8-2 win at No. 3 doubles. The win was followed by the Shaw duo of Carmen Matecon and Andrijana Martic claiming an 8-3 win at No. 2 doubles. The most compelling match in doubles play came at the No. 1 spot where Daniele Vanko and Marilyne Kamegne held off the Golden Bulls for an 8-4 win at #1 doubles. The effort left the Lady Bears with a 3-0 lead heading into singles play.

The singles matches were just as exciting. Shaw took control early when Fekete took a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 6 singles. It was Vanko who clinched the championship with a 6-3, 6-0 win at No. 1 singles. Vanko was honored as the 2018 CIAA Women’s Tennis Championship MVP.

With the victory, the Lady Bears claim an automatic bid to the 2018 NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Tournament. Selections for the tournament will be announced Tuesday, April 24th via web stream on www. NCAA.com.

For more information on CIAA tennis, log on to www.TheCIAA.com.

New Kent, VA (April 20, 2018) – Livingstone College was named the 2018 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Champion after posting a two-round score of 635 (+59) at The Club at Viniterra course in New Kent, Virginia. The championship crown is the team's 8th title in school history and first since 2015.

The Blue Bears kept a steady pace, marking a 317 in Round 1 and only tacking on one extra stroke for a total of 318 in the second and final round. Livingstone, who also won the CIAA’s Northern & Southern Division Tournaments in the regular season, led Runner-Up Virginia Union University by 11 strokes. The Panthers totaled 646 strokes (+70) while Saint Augustine’s University followed with a score of 671 (+95).