BOX SCORE

FLUSHING, NY - The Hunter Men's Tennis team won the CUNYAC Championship with a 5-1 victory over three-time defending champion Baruch College on Thursday night at the USTA National Tennis Center. The victory by the Hawks was the seventh in the program's history and first since 2011 and third under head coach Eric Metzger.

The Hawks earned the CUNYAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament, which begins on May 8th, the Hawks will find out who and where they play on Monday afternoon when the selection show airs.

The doubles competition began with the Hawks taking all three matchups. In the #1 doubles CUNYAC Player of the Year Gonzalo Saez Garcia and CUNYAC Rookie of the Year Carlos Sala easily dispatched the Bearcats #1 doubles team of Arthur Rentzler and Chad Seaver 8-1. Next up, the Hawks #2 pair of CUNYAC 1st Team All-Star Florimond Le Goupil-Maier and Matthew Balilo dispatched Jonathan Selegean and Sameul Hajibai 8-3. Closing out the sweep in doubles was the Hawks #3 pair of Rodolfo Reynoso and Jay Pal who teamed up to defeat their counterparts 8-6.

Doubles competition

1. Gonzalo Saez Garcia/Carlos Sala (HUNTER) def. Arthur Rentzler/Chad Seaver (BARUCH) 8-1

2. F Le Goupil-Maier/Matthew Balilo (HUNTER) def. Jonathan Selegean/Samuel Hajibai (BARUCH) 8-3

3. Rodolfo Reynoso/Jay Pal (HUNTER) def. Dardan Sopjani/Allen Meyerovich (BARUCH) 8-6


Needing only two more victories to clinch the title, the Hawks wasted little time getting the necessary wins. The Bearcats would earn the victory at #6 singles with a straight set victory by Sharki Ahmed who defeated Jay Pal 6-4, 6-3, cutting the Hawks lead to 3-1.

Minutes later, Sala would wrap up his match against Hajibai winning in straight sets 6-2, 6-3, leaving the Hawks one victory from claiming the title. Both Saez Garcia and Balilo were ahead one set and needed only one more game to win their matches, it was a race to see who would get the clinching victory.

It would be Saez Garcia that would get the clinching victory with a straight set victory over Selegean, 6-0, 6-4. With his four victories in both the Semifinals and Finals, he was named Tournament MVP.

Singles competition

1. Gonzalo Saez Garcia (HUNTER) def. Jonathan Selegean (BARUCH) 6-0, 6-4

2. Carlos Sala (HUNTER) def. Samuel Hajibai (BARUCH) 6-2, 6-3

3. F Le Goupil-Maier (HUNTER) vs. Arthur Rentzler (BARUCH) 5-7, 1-0, unfinished

4. Matthew Balilo (HUNTER) vs. Dardan Sopjani (BARUCH) 6-1, 6-5, unfinished

5. Rodolfo Reynoso (HUNTER) vs. Allen Meyerovich (BARUCH) 4-6, 2-0, unfinished

6. Sharki Ahmed (BARUCH) def. Jay Pal (HUNTER) 6-4, 6-3

"I'm really proud of this group, said assistant coach Alex Stanciu. "The better team won tonight and all the credit goes to our group of talented young players, that are only going to get better."

The Hawks are moving on to the NCAA Tournament which begins Saturday May 8th. Make sure you check www.huntercollegeathletics.com to find out where and who the Hawks will be playing.