Drexel University Athletics
Photo by: Greg Carroccio
Tennis' Rodriguez Cruz Wins Puerto Rico National Doubles Title
12/30/2015 5:20:00 PM | Women's Tennis
BAYAMON, Puerto Rico – While many were home relaxing over winter break, Drexel Tennis sophomore Clary Rodriguez Cruz was out winning championships.
Rodriguez Cruz was crowned the doubles champion, as well as singles runner-up, at the Puerto Rico National Tennis Tournament in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, just over 20 miles from her hometown of Gurabo.
El Nacional, as it is shortened in Spanish, is the most prestigious tennis tournament in Puerto Rico, serving as the country's annual national championship. The tournament began nearly 90 years ago in 1927.
Some of Puerto Rico's most successful women's players have played in El Nacional in the past. Previous women's winners include 17-time Grand Slam doubles champions and previous world doubles No. 1 Gigi Fernández, former world No. 27 Kristina Brandi, former NCAA No. 1 at Tennessee Vilmarie Castellvi and current WTA tour player Monica Puig.
Rodriguez Cruz is off to a tremendous start to her collegiate career Drexel. This fall, she won the Quinnipiac Invitational Flight B title, following up a fall in her freshman season where she won the Saint Joseph's Invitational Flight B title in her first ever collegiate match and the Flight A doubles title at the Villanova Invitational. She was an ITA Scholar Athlete last year and has competed at the ITA Northeast Regionals in each of her first two seasons.
She and the Dragons begin their spring 2016 campaign on Jan. 23 against La Salle in the Philly Six Invitational.
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