1983 NAIA National Champions
In 1983, the Belhaven Men’s tennis team did the unthinkable winning Belhaven’s first National Title. The Blazers competed in Kansas City, Missouri with only a handful of players and supporters. The team consisted of seven players who competed with 44 other NAIA teams. The Blazers had already managed a small milestone going into the tournament as the 1983 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Champions and ranked 3rd in the nation, but they had no idea how important an NAIA title would mean to the college wanting to just compete and represent their school well.
The Blazers took on Lander College out of South Carolina in the title game. Top seeded doubles player’s Stephen Bonneau and Martin Dyotte defeated Peter Pristach and Andy Veal of Lander, 6-4, 6-1. Bonneau and Dyotte defeated Lander in the last the two games of the first set then won six straight games after initially dropping the first game of the second set. Belhaven snatched the title from Lander totaling 33 points to Lander’s 32 to win its first title in 20 years of intercollegiate sports. Belhaven’s coach Charlie Rugg gave credit to doubles play for putting the Blazers over the top to take the title as well as mentioning the importance of every player’s contribution to the enormous win.
Other accolades for the Blazers were Martin Dyotte and Stephan Bonneau being named to the 1983 NAIA All-American team along with winning the overall doubles championship that year.
