FORT WORTH, Texas - The Texas Wesleyan University tennis team competed in their first tournament of the fall season as they hosted the TXWES Ram Invitational at the McClelland Tennis Center. Several Rams shined as they dominated in almost every bracket of the tournament.

The TXWES Ram Invitational featured eight schools that included some of the top talent in the country. With over 100 players in the tournament, the Rams separated themselves as showed why they are a force to be reckoned with in both singles and doubles.

Men's Highlights:

Sophomore Yoni Danzic won the number one singles championship, coming out on top over players from Western New Mexico University and Weatherford College. Danzic dominated as he won in strait sets in all of his matches. In the number three singles bracket, freshman Charlie Woods took the top spot in his first ever tournament. In his doing so he soared over opponents from Western New Mexico, Howard Payne, and Hardin Simmons to get his collegiate career started off in dominant fashion. Freshman Bede McCashin made some noise as he finished second in the number four singles bracket, battling it out in the finals, but ultimately falling in a three-set thriller 3-6, 6-1, 10-6. Sophomore Alex Capilla took home first in the number seven singles bracket, defeating teammate Caleb Olen in the finals by a score of 1-6, 6-3, 14-12.

The Rams were also dominant in the doubles brackets, bringing home several first and second place finishes. McCashin and doubles partner Alejo Zurmendi took home first in the number one doubles bracket, defeating teammates Woods and his partner William Bayliss in the finals as the Rams took home first and second in the number one doubles bracket. After Swain and Olen battled in out in singles, they teamed up to dominate the number two doubles bracket and took home first. Newcomer Noah Smith teamed up with Freshman Alex Hatziladas to take first in the number four doubles bracket to close out the Rams dominant doubles performance.


Women's Highlights:

Senior Paulina Hudson picked up right where she left off last season, winning the number one singles bracket in dominant fashion as she won every match in straight sets. Senior Zeynep Ege finished third in the number two singles as she won two out of the three of her matches. Newcomer Karen Yibirin took home first in the number four singles bracket to give the Rams another win. Adiya Abdugappar took home second in the number three singles bracket after falling in the finals on a third set tiebreaker. Meghan Connolly, Shelby Standokes, and Mai Tsushima all finished in third place in their singles flights on the weekend as well to close out the singles portion for the Rams. In doubles, Yibirin and Abdugappar took home the top spot in the number two doubles bracket to give the Rams yet another victory.


Every player for the Rams competed over the weekend and showed serious promise leading into the fall season. "Both teams competed very well this weekend in the brutal conditions, I am proud of the teamwork they demonstrated by supporting one another on and off the court, this is a cornerstone of our culture with this program and I am very excited to see the new players buying into the team-first mentality we are instilling in our program. Lots of things to work on, but its an exciting time to be a Ram" said Head Coach Wade Morgan when asked about his thoughts on the weekend.

The Rams travel to Plano, TX on September 11 & 12 to compete in the Colin County Community College Invitational.