RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – For the first time in program history, both the Southern Arkansas Men's & Women's Tennis Teams opened league competition at the Great American Conference Individual Championships and in the first day of action on Saturday, both teams produced solid showings highlighted by several athletes advancing to winner bracket competition on Sunday.
 
Lady Muleriders Angela Vargas and Joanna Nowakowska ran through Saturday's Flight 1/2 Singles as both picked up a pair of wins and each are a win away from matching up against each other in the flight's championship match. Vargas toppled Ouachita's Mallory Tabler (6-0, 6-0) and Oklahoma Baptist's Kim Moosbacher (2-6, 6-2, 10-2), while Nowakowska bounced Ouachita's Kendra Dinsmore (6-2, 6-0) and Oklahoma Baptist' Tahlia Walsh (6-1, 6-2).
 
The doubles team of Nowakowska and Vargas picked up a 6-2 win over OKB's Boepple/Moosbacher and will face off against Harding's Cox/Takanashi in the Doubles 1/2 Flight semifinals on Sunday.
 
Simone Simas was just as solid as her previously mentioned teammates as she took down Ouachita's Taylor Hansard (6-3, 6-1) and Oklahoma Baptist's Maddie Boepple (6-2, 1-6, 10-7). Simas meets Harding's Allison Carpenter at 10 a.m. on Sunday for the Flight 4 title. Serena Gill collapsed Henderson State's Mariah Bartlett (6-1, 6-3) and Harding's Emily Carpenter (6-4, 6-4) to advance to the Flight 5 championship against Arkansas Tech's Annabel Rowlands.
 
Like her classmates Simas and Gill, Brenda Teixeira rolled into the finals of her flight as she conquered a pair of Harding players in Allison Jenkins (1-6, 6-4, 10-8) and Jordan Shaw (6-4, 7-6 (6)). Stefy Varon of Oklahoma Baptist awaits Teixeira in the 11 a.m. flight championship on Sunday.
 
Additionally, Teixeira and Simas won a pair of doubles matches as the duo beat Harding's A. Carpenter/E. Carpenter (6-4) and Henderson State's Puluspene/Braun (6-1). The pair plays Waron/Walsh of Oklahoma Baptist in the Flight's semifinals.
 
Lena Milosevic meets Arkansas Tech's Kami Ward in the consolation semifinals of Flight 3 at 9 a.m. on Sunday morning.
 
Highlighting the men's action was Raymond Marin and Aleksandr Pokusaev both advancing in the winner's bracket of Flight 2 Singles. Marin topped Ouachita's Nair Adi 7-6, 6-4 and Pokusaev defeated Oklahoma Baptist's Kevin Andrusch. Both athletes face semifinal opponents at 9 a.m. on Sunday.
 
The trio of Gustavo Kerber, Iker Brull, and Jonathan Gilmore all bounced back after first match defeats in the Flight 3/4 Singles to advance to the semifinals of that consolation bracket. Kerber beat Harding's Diego Pierola 6-4, 6-2, while Brull knocked off Ashish Komaragiri of Oklahoma Baptist: 6-0, 4-6, 10-7. Oklahoma Baptist's Harrison Boggs suffered a 6-4, 4-6, 10-7 defeat to Gilmore which matches up with Mulerider teammate Brull at 10:15 a.m. Sunday morning. Kerber meets Southeastern Oklahoma's Jason Roberts at 10:15 as well.
 
After dropping their respective opening round Flight 1 Singles matches, Yuri Gondouin and Natiphat Mulada meet at 10:15 a.m. on Sunday morning in Match 3 of the Flight 1 Consolation. Gondouin defeated Harding's Larthur Bellan 8-2 in the first consolation match to advance to the bracket's semifinal against Mulada.
 
Gondouin and Kerber teamed up in the Doubles Flight 1 bracket and outdid OKB's Graterol and Andrusch 8-6 before falling in semifinal match 7.
 
The doubles team of Mulada/Pokusaev and Lorenzo/Marin will each compete in Flight 2 Doubles consolation matches on Sunday.
 
For full winner and consolation bracket results and matchups with times for Sunday, follow this link: https://arkansastechsports.com/sports/2018/10/19/gac-individual-tennis-championships.aspx.