EWING, NJ --- The College of New Jersey men's tennis team won a pair of matches Wednesday to earn the first New Jersey Athletic Conference championship awarded since 1998. The Lions (12-2, 3-0 NJAC) defeated Rutgers-Newark (0-6, 0-1 NJAC) and Rutgers-Camden (1-6, 0-2 NJAC) by identical 9-0 scores.

The Lions now own three consecutive awarded NJAC titles (1997, 1998, 2019) and 21 total in program history.

The NJAC re-introduced men's tennis as a conference sport this season thanks to a change put forth last spring by the Board of Athletic Administrators. Prior to this year, five full-member institutions needed to sponsor a sport for it to be considered a conference sport; that requirement was changed to four, which triggered the addition of both men's tennis and men's volleyball.

In doubles play against Rutgers-Newark, the Lions dropped just a single game. Matthew Michibata and Tim Gavornik won 8-0 at number one. Mitchel Sanders and Thomas Wright won 8-1 at number two. Matt Puig and Andrew Mok took an 8-0 decision at number three.
 
In singles play, all six Lions won in straight sets. Sanders took the 6-3, 6-0 victory at number one. At number two, Michibata won 6-0, 6-1. Justin Wain won at number three 6-2, 6-1. Gavornik won at number four with a pair of identical 6-1 scores. Puig did not drop a game at number five. Wright won 6-1, 6-2 at number six.
 
The Lions were even more dominant against Rutgers-Camden. Again the Lions dropped just a single game in doubles play as Michibata and Gavornik won 8-1. The Lions used the same lineup in singles play, and did not drop a single game. Puig scored the conference championship clinching point in the victory.
 
With four wins on the day, Gavornik hit a personal milestone, earning his 100^th career victory. The senior has produced 46 singles wins and 54 doubles victories as a Lion.
 
TCNJ will be back on the courts Saturday when it hosts the University of Rochester at 9:30 a.m.