Closing the final chapter in program history with one of its strongest national performances in more than two decades, the No. 8 ranked Barton Community College women's tennis team placed fifth this week at the NJCAA Division I Women's Tennis Championships held at the Palmetto Tennis Center in Sumter, South Carolina.
The Cougars compiled 20 team points across singles and doubles competition, finishing just a half-point shy of fourth-place No. 5 St. Petersburg and ahead of No. 2 Tyler among the nation's top programs. Top-ranked Hillsborough captured the national championship with 45 points, followed by No. 3 Cowley (32) and No. 4 Collin (23).
The fifth-place national finish marked Barton's highest placing since the 2003 season, appropriately providing a memorable sendoff in the program's final year of competition.
Compiling an 8-11 overall record across the four-day tournament, four of Barton's losses came against eventual national champions, another against a national runner-up, while two additional defeats were handed out by eventual consolation bracket champions.
Headlining the Cougars' performance was Grace Tchamoussa, the No. 2 seed and No. 23 nationally ranked player at No. 3 singles, whose runner-up finish marked the program's highest placement in women's singles competition since Tetyana Bula captured the No. 1 singles national title in 2003.
Following a first-round bye, Tchamoussa opened with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over No. 41 Juliana Jurado of Weatherford before elevating her play in the semifinals with a commanding 6-2, 6-3 win over third-seeded No. 31 Nobuhle Zungu of Collin College. In the championship match, Tchamoussa faced top-seeded No. 5 Sydney Stark of Hillsborough, finishing as national runner-up following a 6-0, 6-2 decision.
At No. 2 singles, Danira Ndengoue, the No. 4 seed and No. 21 nationally ranked player, advanced to the semifinals. After a first-round bye, Ndengoue moved forward via a quarterfinal walkover against fifth-seeded No. 20 Sherin Scheerle of Tyler before meeting top-seeded No. 3 Salomea Jasiczek of Hillsborough. Facing the eventual national champion, Ndengoue battled before falling 6-4, 6-0 to end the season with a semifinal finish.
Jamie Petrova, the No. 5 seed at No. 4 singles, delivered one of Barton's most resilient performances of the tournament. After a bye, Petrova rallied past fourth-seeded No. 35 Natalia Garcia Matea of Tyler with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 comeback victory in the quarterfinals. Her run concluded in the semifinals against top-seeded No. 7 Noah Rojas of Hillsborough (6-1, 6-2), who went on to capture the flight championship.
At the top of the lineup, Vitoria Campigotto, the No. 6 seed and No. 14 nationally ranked player at No. 1 singles, opened with a three-set victory over No. 19 Maria Camila Ternera of Weatherford, 6-2, 5-7, 6-3. Advancing to the quarterfinals, Campigotto had her season and Barton singles career come to a close, falling in a tight 6-2, 7-6 decision to third-seeded No. 4 Marqaylar Tere of Collin College.
Barton's lower flights followed similar paths, each dropping opening round matches before having their seasons conclude against eventual consolation bracket champions. Salalee Seejong, competing at No. 5 singles, dropped a competitive 6-1, 7-5 opening match to USC-Sumter's Dana Espinoza before falling in the consolation semifinals to sixth-seeded Olivia Goldstack of St. Petersburg.
At No. 6 singles, Lauren Barker was pushed into the consolation bracket by Weatherford's Amanda Skeltina before her season concluded with an 8-3 semifinal loss to fifth-seeded Isabela Roa of USC-Sumter.
In doubles play, all three pairings opened with victories while two advanced into semifinal-round competition.
At No. 2 doubles, the sixth-seeded pairing of Tchamoussa and Petrova produced one of the Cougars' top doubles results. The duo upset Pratt's third-seeded Emma Guzman and Ebonie Russell in a hard-fought 6-0, 4-6, 7-5 quarterfinal victory, winning the season series matchup between the pairings while avenging a Region 6 championship loss. The tandem's run concluded in the semifinals, falling 7-6, 6-2 to second-seeded No. 11 Idom Cho and Sherin Scheerle of Tyler Junior College.
The No. 1 doubles team of Campigotto and Ndengoue opened with a dominant 6-1, 6-1 victory over USC-Sumter's No. 21 ranked Pawarada Thaimuangphol and Pawarapa Thaimuangphol before drawing the nation's top-ranked duo in the quarterfinals, falling to the second-seeded No. 1 team of Younsoo Cho and Sydney Stark from Hillsborough, who went on to capture the national title.
At No. 3 doubles, Seejong and Barker rolled to a 6-1, 6-0 opening win over Southwestern Illinois' Olivia Cox and Sydney Simonton before the season concluded with 6-1, 6-1 losses to the second-seeded tandem of Ana Lense and Anna Schmidt from St. Petersburg in the quarterfinal round.
Barton Singles Results
No. 1: Vitoria Campigotto (6th Seed, No. 14 ranked)
1st Rd: defeated No. 19 Maria Camila Ternera (Weatherford) 6-2, 5-7, 6-3
Quarterfinals: lost to 3rd Seed/No. 4 Marqaylar Tere (Collin College) 6-2, 7-6 *Finished 2nd
No. 2: Danira Ndengoue (4th Seed, No. 21 ranked)
1st Rd: bye
Quarterfinals: advanced on walkover from 5th Seed/No. 20 Sherin Scheerle (Tyler JC)
Semifinals: lost to Top Seed/No. 3 Salomea Jasiczek (Hillsborough) 6-4, 6-0 *Eventual National Champion
No. 3: Grace Tchamoussa (2nd Seed, No. 23 ranked)
1st Rd: bye
Quarterfinals: defeated No. 41 Juliana Jurado (Weatherford) 7-5, 6-3
Semifinals: defeated 3rd Seed/No. 31 Nobuhle Zungu (Collin College) 6-2, 6-3
Championship: lost to Top Seed/No. 5 Sydney Stark (Hillsborough) 6-0, 6-2
No. 4: Jamie Petrova (5th Seed)
1st Rd: bye Quarterfinals: defeated 4th Seed/No. 35 Natalia Garcia Matea (Tyler JC) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
Semifinals: lost to Top Seed/No. 7 Noah Rojas (Hillsborough) 6-1, 6-2 *Eventual National Champion
No. 5: Salalee Seejong
1st Rd: lost to Dana Espinoza (USC-Sumter) 6-1, 7-5 Consolation
Semifinals: lost to 6th Seed Olivia Goldstack (St. Petersburg) 8-0 *Eventual Consolation Champion
No. 6: Lauren Barker
1st Rd: lost to Amanda Skeltina (Weatherford) 6-0, 6-0
Consolation Semifinals: lost to 5th Seed Isabela Roa (USC-Sumter) 8-3 *Eventual Consolation Champion
Doubles
No. 1: Vitoria Campigotto/Danira Ndengoue
1st Rd: defeated No. 21 Pawarada Thaimuangphol/Pawarapa Thaimuangphol (USC-Sumter) 6-1, 6-1
Quarterfinals: lost to 2nd Seed/No. 1 Younsoo Cho/Sydney Stark (Hillsborough) 6-3, 6-2 *Eventual National Champion
No. 2: Grace Tchamoussa/Jamie Petrova (6th Seed)
Quarterfinals: defeated 3rd Seed Emma Guzman/Ebonie Russell (Pratt) 6-0, 4-6, 7-5
Semifinals: lost to 2nd Seed/No. 11 Idom Cho/Sherin Scheerle (Tyler JC) 7-6, 6-2
No. 3: Salalee Seejong/Lauren Barker
1st Rd: defeated Olivia Cox/Sydney Simonton (SW Illinois) 6-1, 6-0
Quarterfinals: lost to 2nd Seed Ana Lense/Anna Schmidt (St. Petersburg) 6-1, 6-1
Final Team Results *National Rankings in ():
1. Hillsborough (#1) – 45pts
2. Cowley (#3) - 32
3. Collin (#4) - 23
4. St. Petersburg (#5) - 20.5
5. Barton (#8) - 20
6. Tyler (#2) - 18.5
7. Pratt (#9) - 14
8. USC-Sumter (#14) – 13.5
9. Weatherford (#10) – 11.5
10. Seward County (#17) - 6
11. SW Illinois – 1.5