DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – There could not have been any better script for Diego Garavito's Senior Day on Friday.
The heart and soul of a team that's endured more than its fair share of trials and tribulations, Garavito's victory at No. 6 singles clinched a 5-2 Bethune-Cookman victory over archrival Florida A&M at City Island Tennis Center.
How big was the 3-6,6-2,6-1 decision over Joel Ovonlen-James by Garavito?
It helped the Wildcats (13-12 overall, 4-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) beat the Ratters for the first time in Head Coach Tim Pleasant's four-year tenure as well as ensured the team's first winning regular season since 2009. Things just write themselves, sometimes.
“For me, it is a dream,” said Garavito, honored alongside Gilbert Rotich before the start of the match. “Not just for me, but for the team.”
After taking the doubles point, Bethune-Cookman got quick victories from Greg Almeida and Walid Gtari to pull within one point of the team win.
Close behind Garavito, was Alexander Chepik, inflicting his will in the third set of his No. 1 singles match as a possible deciding point.
But this was Garavito's moment, and he had already taken control of his match en route to a victory that was probably the most celebrated of both the men's team and women's team earlier in the day.
He [Ovonlen-James] started playing my game,” Garavito said. “I changed the rhythm and got into my game.”
Garavito also had a doubles victory with Almeida, who along with Chepik and Gtari also had a singles and doubles victory as the Wildcats locked up the second seed for next week's conference tournament.
The 13-12 record marks a seven-win improvement of last year's tragedy-filled campaign. At one point this year, the Wildcats were 11-8 before injuries and illness started a late-season slump.
“One of the goals this season for Diego was to get that first win over a rival,” Pleasant said. “Everything we've been through, especially last year [losing Juan Varon in a traffic accident] is behind and now we're putting ourselves in a position to contend for a championship.”
