women’s history & records
Johnson County
At Nationals both new school records. Freshman Sunshyne Bailey also provided points for JCCC, winning her first-round match.
performances helped JCCC to a thirdplace team finish, the highest in school history. There were 23 teams in the field.
Doubles JCCC’s No. 3 doubles team of sophomore Rebekah Wheeler and Meghann Westhoff became the first team to reach the semifinals. Wheeler also became the first JCCC player to reach the quarterfinals or better in both years of competition. The pair finished the year at 17-2, shattering school records for wins and winning percentage at the No. 3 position. Their 17 wins are also the most by any doubles team in school history.
After a bye in the first round, King, the seventh seed, opened the championship with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Cara Mince of Glen Oaks. She then followed by knocking off the No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 seeds consecutively, and all in straight sets, to win a national championship.
1998
King finished the year with a 15-4 record, which ties the school record wins at No. 2 singles. She finishes her JCCC tennis career with a singles mark of 25-8. Her 25 wins are the fourth highest total at JCCC.
Team The previous two seasons, the Johnson County women’s team had dominated the Region VI Championships, winning 15 of the 18 singles and doubles titles. While the team’s dominance slipped slightly in 1998, the Lady Cavaliers did extend their NJCAA National Tournament streak to four straight appearances. Johnson County made the most of its opportunity, placing 11th overall. Singles Sophomore Ashley Snipes and freshman Jami King each won two singles matches before falling in the quarterfinals. Sophomore Sunshyne Bailey and freshman Megan Gross each were victorious in one match. Doubles All three doubles teams won at least one match at the 1998 National Championships, with the duo of Sunshyne Bailey and Jami King winning two. They finished the season at No. 2 doubles with a 14-4 record, tying the school mark for wins in a season.
1999 Team The Lady Cavaliers peaked at the right time, narrowly losing to the Region VI title. But they saved their best effort at nationals, placing third, the highest finish ever. It also marked the program’s second top-10 finish in three years. “This is definitely the best feeling this program’s had since I’ve been here,” Moser said. “This year there were no great teams, but many good teams. In previous years, usually two teams dominated, but this year the tournament was very close, so we thought if we played to our capabilities, a top-five finish was within reach. The real key for us was the first two rounds.” Wallace State won the team title with 28 points. Chattanooga State was second with 25, followed by JCCC with 23. Central Florida and Collin County round out the top five, finishing with 22 and 21 points respectively. Singles Sophomore Jami King became the first All-American and national champion of the women’s tennis program, as she dominated the No. 2 singles bracket at the NJCAA Division II Tennis Championships in Tucson, Ariz. She later became the first two-time All-American, reaching the finals with freshman teammate Julia Ball at No. 2 doubles. Their
“Her foot speed and her heart got her that championship,” Moser said. “She was the talk of the tournament. She knocked off three top seeds without losing a set. She was amazing.”
In addition to King’s dominate effort, the Lady Cavaliers were solid from top to bottom, reaching the quarterfinals in all six tournament brackets. Sophomore Margaret Clark (Olathe North) advanced to the semifinals at No. 6 singles, defeating two top seeds before falling to the eventual national champion. Freshman Sydney Moshier of Salina nearly reached the semifinals, taking top seed Ann Harple to three sets, 6-7, 6-4, 6-7. Doubles In doubles play, King and Ball were seeded No. 2 and they lived up to their high seed, reaching the finals, only to fall in the championship, 1-6, 6-7, to the thirdseeded team of Leslie Gordon and Kim McCravy of Wallace State. Both King and Ball earned second-team All-America honors. The No. 1 team of Moshier and freshman Emily Danielson of Topeka played impressively, reaching the quarterfinals.
2000 Team Johnson County qualified for the NJCAA National Tournament for a seventh straight season and finished in the top 10 for a fourth straight year. Singles Four of JCCC’s five singles participants won a match in the tournament. Emily Danielson at No.1, Sydney Moshier at No. 2, Amy de Blonk at No. 3 and Kende Rothaus at No. 6, each finished 1-1 in the tournament. Moshier and de Blonk were region champions. Doubles Both Johnson County doubles teams won two matches before falling in the quarterfinal round of the 2000 National Championships. The duo of Emily Danielson and Sydney Moshier at No. 1 finished 2-1 in the tournament, and 11-8 overall. Amy de Blonk and Krista Kuban also went 2-1 and ended the season 13-7. Their 13 wins tie the fourth best season mark in Johnson County history at No. 2 doubles.
2001 Team Johnson County qualified for the NJCAA National Tournament for an eighth straight season and finished in the top 10 for a fifth straight year. JCCC
entered the national tournament on the heels of one of its most dominating performances in school history. JCCC won the Region VI title by winning eight of the nine championship brackets. That momentum carried over to nationals, as JCCC placed fourth, its second highest national finish in program history. Singles For just the second time in JCCC women’s tennis history, a Johnson County player was crowned national champion. Sophomore Krista Kuban became the program’s second national champion in singles, downed Amandin Borgazzi of Kilgore College in the finals, 6-2, 6-4 to win the No. 5 singles bracket. Seeded No. 7, Kuban knocked off No. 1 seed Stephanie Floyd off Wallace State in the quarterfinals, 6-2, 6-2. She followed by downing No. 3 seed Amanda Miller of Central Florida, 7-6, 6-0 to reach the finals. Borgazzi was the fifth seed. Kuban did not lose a set the entire tournament. “Krista was amazing” said head coach Glen Moser. “She was in a zone and she knocked off three top seeds without losing a set.” But she wasn’t’’t the lone JCCC AllAmerican. Sophomore Jessica deBlonk, the No. 2 seed in the No.2 singles bracket, reached the finals against No. 3 seed Maria Arcos of Collin County. deBlonk won the first set handily 6-2, however, Arcos came back to win the next two sets, 3-6, 1-6, ending deBlonk’s run for a national title. Her runner-up finish did earn her NJCAA All-American honors. Freshman Ashleigh Dexter nearly reached the finals in the No. 6 singles bracket. Dexter had the lead in her semifinal match, before falling. Sophomore Amy deBlonk also lost her semifinal match at the No. 3 singles bracket, falling short in her bid to be a two-time AllAmerican. Doubles In doubles player, Jessica deBlonk and her sister Amy, teamed together at No. 1 doubles to earn All-American honors. The pair finished second, losing in the finals to the No. 1 team from Central Florida, 3-6, 1-6. Jessica deBlonk became just the second player to earn two AllAmerican honors in one championship.
2002 Team Johnson County qualified for the NJCAA National Tournament for an ninth straight season and finished in the top 10 for a sixth straight year. JCCC placed fourth for a second straight year, matching its second highest national finish in program history. Overall, JCCC head coach Glen Moser was pleased with his team’s effort. “We went in ranked fifth nationally, and we improved on that finish,” Moser said. “We competed very well. Singles In singles play, four of JCCC’s six players reached the semifinals; Sarah Bowman at No. 2, freshman Lauren Oakleaf at No. 3, Julia Danielson at No. 4 and sophomore Ashleigh Dexter at No. 6. Bowman, Danielson and Dexter took their matches to the final set before falling.
2014 johnson county community college tennis guide
Doubles Leading the way was the Cavaliers No. 3 doubles team of freshman Tyler Freeman and Sarah Hill. The pair reached the semifinals before falling to Laney Carr and Staci Pikaytis of Mesa Community College. Freeman and Hill knocked off No. 1 seed Wallace State in the quarterfinals, setting up their semifinal match with Mesa. JCCC’s No. 1 doubles team of freshman Sarah Bowman and Julia Danielson reached the quarterfinals in their bracket. After a first round bye, the duo opened with a 7-5, 7-5 win over Lauren King and Lisa Lucas of Gordon College, then lost to Yevgeniva Barvsheva and Maria Herrera of Temple College, 63, 6-3.
2003 Team Johnson County qualified for the NJCAA National Tournament for a 10th straight season and finished in the top 10 for a seventh straight year. JCCC placed fourth for a third straight year, matching its second highest national finish in program history. Overall, JCCC head coach Glen Moser was pleased with his team’s effort. “We went in ranked fifth nationally, and we improved on that finish,” Moser said. “We competed very well. Singles In singles play, four of JCCC’s six players reached the semifinals; sophomore Lauren Oakleaf at No. 2, sophomore Sarah Hill at No. 3, sophomore Brandi Wadley at No. 4 and freshman Laura Thiessen at No. 5. Oakleaf opened with two quick wins of 6-1, 6-0 over Jaci Filson of Elgin and 6-1, 6-2 Megan Chivas of Meridian, before falling to Suzanne Fry of Cowley County. Hill and Thiessen also had relatively easy matches to reach the semifinals Hill opened with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Andrea Meyer of Pima, and followed with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Billie Blocker of Collin County. Hill, the fourth seed, lost her semifinal match to No. 2 seed Alana McCormack of Wallace State 2-6, 1-6. Theissen opened with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Paula Belenchia of Georgia Perimeter, then followed with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Pam Carney of Barton County. Lindsay Hardy of Mesa ended Thiessen’s bid for All-American with a pair of 6-1 wins. Wadley won her opening match 61, 6-0, then reached the semis with a 6-1, 5-7, 6-1 win over Ashley Matthews of Copiah Lincoln. Doubles Leading the way was the Cavaliers No. 2 doubles team of sophomores Sarah Hill and Brandi Wadley. The pair reached the semifinals before falling to No. 1 seed Taylor Ivie and Amanda Wood of Temple College. JCCC’s No. 3 doubles team of freshmen Ashley Kopecky and Laura Thiessen reached the quarterfinals in their bracket. After a first round bye, the duo opened with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Bridget Brooks and Amanda Wigs of Hinds, then lost to Jackie Gilmore and Kellie Stinson of Cowley County, 5-7, 6-2, 3-6.
2004 Team Johnson County qualified for the NJCAA Tournament an 11th straight time, and finished in the top 10 for an eighth straight year, placing eighth overall.
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