The Georgia Gwinnett men’s and women’s tennis teams captured the first two national championship titles in Georgia Gwinnett College history on Saturday, each winning 2014 NAIA Tennis National Championships over Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Fla.) at the Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile, Ala.
First, the Georgia Gwinnett women outlasted the Eagles, 5-4, before the GGC men capped an unbeaten season with a 5-1 victory over the defending champion Eagles.
For his success, GGC head coach Chase Hodges was named both the Men’s and Women’s 2014 NAIA Coach of the Year.
The championships come in GGC’s very first season of postseason eligibility.
“I’m just ecstatic,” said Hodges. “This is hard to even put it in perspective right now. It’s an amazing feeling. I have a great group of players who have been a joy to coach. We just compete out there and if you’re playing the Georgia Gwinnett Grizzlies, you’re in for a dogfight. Nobody backs down and it’s a pleasure to represent our college.
“Today, we just did what we’ve been doing all season and that’s win matches,” Hodges added. “All I can think about is enjoying this for another 364 days.”
The Grizzlies become just the second program to ever capture men’s and women’s tennis national championships in the same season.