West Florida won its first Division II Men's Tennis Championship, defeating Valdosta State, 5-2, at the Division II National Championships Festival in Florida. The Argonauts had last been in the finals of this event in 1997, when they lost to Lander.

This year, however, West Florida prevailed over Valdosta State and avenged its loss to the Blazers in the finals of the Gulf South Conference tournament in April. This was Valdosta State's first appearance in the final.

West Florida completed its season with a 33-1 record. The 33 victories are the most in a single season. Valdosta State finished with a 21-4 record.

"We have always had great tennis programs, but we always came up just short at nationals," said West Florida head coach Derrick Racine. "Everything went right all week as we were able to pull out every tough match. It was just our week."

The Blazers started the match with the doubles team of Peter Kreutzfeldt and Phillip Laucht downing the West Florida duo of Guillaume deVerbizier and Jonas Mouly, 8-3. But the Argonauts responded by winning the next two doubles matches. West Florida's Radovan Chrz and German Dalmagro picked up an 8-4 triumph over Eduardo Rincon and Heiko Wunderlich. Mario Vergara and Paulius Jurkenas followed with a hard-fought 9-7 victory over Christoph Schneider and Norman Weidle.

Valdosta State started singles action with Schneider upsetting deVerbizier, 6-3, 6-3, to even the match score at 2-2. But West Florida won the next three singles matches en route to the national championship. Vergara disposed of Weidle, 6-2, 6-2; Chrz defeated Kreutzfeldt, 7-5, 6-1; and Dalmagro clinched West Florida's first national tennis championship with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Wunderlich.

West Florida is the second school from Florida to win the title. Rollins, which the Argonauts defeated to reach the finals, has won four titles.

Regionals

At Lynn -- Lynn 5, Eckerd 3; Rollins 5, Carson-Newman 0; Rollins 5, Lynn 2 (Rollins advances).

At S.C.-Spartanburg -- S.C.-Spartanburg 5, Anderson (S.C.) 0; Columbus St. 5, Armstrong Atlantic 3; S.C.-Spartanburg 5, Columbus St. 2 (S.C.-Spartanburg advances).

At Kutztown -- Kutztown 5, Stonehill 0; Assumption 5, Queens (N.Y.) 2; Kutztown 5, Assumption 0 (Kutztown advances).

At Ferris St. -- Wayne St. (Mich.) 5, Lake Superior St. 2; Ferris St. 5, Mercyhurst 0; Ferris St. 5, Wayne St. (Mich.) 0 (Ferris St. advances).

At West Fla. -- Delta St. 5, Lincoln Memorial 3; West Fla. 7, Delta St. 0 (West Fl. advances).

At UC San Diego UC San Diego 5, Hawaii-Hilo 0 (UC San Diego advances).

At Southwest Baptist -- Colorado St.-Pueblo 5, Neb.-Kearney 3; Southwest Baptist 5, Truman 0; Southwest Baptist 5, Colorado St.-Pueblo 0 (Southwest Baptist advances).

At Abilene Christian -- St. Edward's 5, Rockhurst 1; Abilene Christian 5, St. Edward's 4 (Abilene Christian advances).

At North Fla. -- North Fla. 5, Johnson Smith 0; Lander 5, GC&SU 1; North Fla. 5, Lander 1 (North Fla. Advances).

At Barry -- Presbyterian 6, Fla. Southern 0; Barry 5, Tusculum 0; Barry 5, Presbyterian 0 (Barry advances).

At Northwood -- Northern Ky. 5, Southern Ind. 1; Northwood 5, West Liberty St. 0; Northwood 5, Northern Ky. 0 (Northwood advances).

At Bloomsburg -- Dowling 5, Mercy 2; Bloomsburg 5, Concordia (N.Y.) 1; Bloomsburg 5, Dowling 1 (Bloomsburg advances).

At Valdosta St. -- Ouachita Baptist 5, North Ala. 0; Valdosta St. 6, Tuskegee 0; Valdosta St. 5, Ouachita Baptist 3 (Valdosta St. advances).

At Drury -- Midwestern St. 5, Cameron 2; Drury 5, Midwestern St. 0 (Drury advances).

At Washburn -- Northwest Mo. St. 5, Colorado Mines 0; Washburn 5, St. Cloud St. 1; Washburn 5, Northwest Mo. St. 4 (Washburn advances).

Round of 16

Ferris St. def. Kutztown 5-2; North Fla. def. Barry 5-0; Rollins def. S.C.-Spartanburg 5-2; West Fla. def. UC San Diego 5-2; Southwest Baptist def. Abilene Christian 5-3; Northwood def. Bloomsburg 5-1; Valdosta St. def. BYU-Hawaii 5-3; Drury def. Washburn 5-0.

Quarterfinals

Rollins def. Ferris St. 5-0; West Fla. def. Southwest Baptist 5-1; North Fla. def. Northwood 5-0; Valdosta St. def. Drury 5-2.

Semifinals

West Fla. Def. Rollins 5-2; Valdosta St. def. North Fla. 5-0.

Championship

West Fla. 5, Valdosta St. 2

Doubles: No. 1 -- Rodovan Chrz-German Delmagro, West Fla., def. Eduardo Rincon-Heiko Wunderlich, Valdosta St., 8-4; No. 2 -- Paulius Jerkenas-Mario Vergara, West Fla., def. Christoph Schneider-Norman Weidle, Valdosta St., 9-7; No. 3 -- Peter Kreutzfeldt-Phillip Laucht, Valdosta St., def. Guillaume de Verbize-Jonas Mouly, West Fla. 8-3.

Singles: No. 1 -- Suspended; No. 2 -- Schneider, Valdosta St., def. de Verbize, West Fla., 6-3, 6-3; No. 3 -- Chrz, West Fla., def. Kreutzfeldt, Valdosta St., 7-5, 6-1; No. 4 -- Suspended; No. 5 -- Delmagro, West Fla., def. Wunderlich, Valdosta St., 6-3, 6-2; No. 6 -- Vergara, West Fla., def. Weidle, Valdosta St., 6-2, 6-2.