History was made at the 2024 Ojai Invitational Tennis Tournament as Glendale College Freshman Jean-Baptiste Badon not only won the 3C2A singles title but completed one of the best seasons in recent memory. He failed to drop a set in the prestigious tournament and he ended the season with a 29-2 record, his only losses coming in the fall to opponents from the University of Utah and Oregon in the 2023 Fall Intercollegiate Tennis Association/Super Bowl Tournament which he won in Georgia in order to compete against NCAA Division I competition in San Diego last October.

 

His win in Ojai, also considered the state tennis championships, completed a remarkable season for the 21-year-old from Sunland who won the Western State Singles Title in early April and was named the co-conference player of the year and helped lead the Vaqueros to the Southern California Regional Team Finals before they fell to the eventual state champions from Ventura College.

 

GCC Alumni Alex Sarkissian was the only other GCC player to win the state singles title in Ojai in 2011 to complete an undefeated season. Ironically, Sarkissian was part of the championship doubles team to win at Ojai this year in the open division.

 

Badon, who has committed to transfer to Jacksonville State University in Alabama for the 2025 season, said he was grateful for his experience at GCC. "It was an adjustment being in classes and on a campus with other students since I was home schooled for most of my life, he said. "But the socialization at school and being part of the tennis team has helped me grow personally and I believe that translated into helping me play my best on the court and I'm proud of what I accomplished playing tennis for Glendale College.''   

 

Glendale also had its top doubles advance to the finals at Ojai as the team of Lance Morgan and Adam Ridaoui fell to a team from Irvine Valley College in three tight sets, 7-5, 6-7, 7-5 for the championship.