Mobile, Ala. - The Trinity University Tigers
can claim another national tennis championship, the top-seeded
Trinity Tigers team of seniors Bobby
Cocanougher and Cory Kowal won
the doubles title Friday of the USTA/ITA Division III Men's
National Small College Championships.
Cocanougher, of Southlake, Texas (Carroll); and Kowal, from
Austin, Texas (Anderson); defeated the No. 3 seeds Chris Goodwin
and Will Humphreys of Emory 6-2, 6-2 in the men's Division III
final at Copeland Cox Tennis Center.
The Tiger duo will now play Saturday in the semifinals of the
"Super Bowl" against the Division II champions Rafael Array and
Mikk Irdoja of Armstrong Atlantic (Ga.) at 3 p.m. The winner
advances to Sunday's championship match at 10 a.m.
Cocanougher and Kowal became the third Trinity team to win the ITA
national crown. Sean Fifield and Stefan Parker took the honors in
2003, and Jamie Broach and Michael Slutzky won the title in
1997.
Regional champions from the NCAA Divisions II and III, along
with the NAIA and JUCO (junior college), are competing in the
tournament. The division winners play each other, culminating
in an overall championship match.
The Tiger tandem, playing in their third National Small College
event, won the ITA Southwest Region Championship Oct. 3 at Trinity.
Last May, the Trinity duo advanced to the NCAA Division III Doubles
Championship match.
In Friday's consolation single semifinals, Sam Sweeney of North
Central beat Cocanougher 6-2, 6-1 in the consolation singles
semifinals. Cocanougher will play for seventh place at 8:30 a.m.
Saturday against Andrew Guzick of Vassar.