JACKSON - In the inaugural Major Invitational hosted by Millsaps College this past weekend, the Jackson State men and women took the crown, while the Major men finished second and the women sixth overall.

The first year tournament featured four other schools including Centenary, Belhaven, Southern Arkansas and Arkansas Tech.

Sophomore Tim Shoptaugh knocked off Mario Kattengell of Belhaven 4-6, 7-6(5), 11-9 to join freshman Alex Cummings of Tallahassee, Fla., in the semifinals of the top flight. 

Cummings eventually fell to JSU’s Sergio Salinas 6-2, 7-6(3), while Shoptaugh dropped a 6-3, 6-2 decision to Arturo Jiminez, also from the Tigers.

The second flight saw junior Wes Hill and sophomore Trevor Harris both drop matches to the Tigers.  Hill fell to Alejandro Martinez 6-3, 6-2, while Harris also dropped a 6-3, 6-2 decision to Tendai Kuwaza.

In Flight B singles, Majors senior Michael Puckett defeated Seva Kostelanetz of Centenary 7-5, 6-1 and marched all the way to the finals, only to lose to Brandon Nelson of JSU.  In other action, Jonathan Giurintano fell to Kostelanetz 6-1, 6-0.

In doubles action, the pairing of Cummings and Shoptaugh were a force to be reckoned with on the court, as the two won all doubles matches played.  They knocked off Belhaven's Pearce and Kattengell 8-2, Dyer and Kostelanetz of Centenary 8-6 and were winning against Centenary's Rodgman and Ahuja before the match was cancelled due to rain.

In other doubles play, Puckett and Giurintano defeated Belhaven's Marove and Brabston 8-1 before falling to JSU's Salinas and Martinez 8-1.  The pairing of Hill and Harris also fell to Salinas and Martinez in identical fashion.