Roadrunners Punch Tickets to Ojai: Pimentel and Ishikawa Qualify for 3C2A State Finals

With grit, determination, and some extra-set heroics, College of the Desert's Travis Pimentel and Chandra Ishikawa earned their way into the 3C2A State Championships in Ojai, qualifying in both singles and doubles during a fierce weekend at the Inland Empire Athletic Conference (IEAC) Championships.

Survive and Advance: The Singles Showdown

The IEAC singles bracket kicked off with a trial by fire for the Roadrunners. Freshman Jonathan Cruz Gonzalez (Cathedral City H.S.) and sophomore Nathaniel Jimenez (Beaumont H.S.) faced stiff competition from San Diego City College and fell in straight sets. Freshman Matthew Rubio (Palm Desert H.S.) came the closest to advancing, battling into a deciding super tiebreak before narrowly falling to Mt. SAC's Micah Welch.

But the real drama unfolded with the emergence of Pimentel and Ishikawa.

Freshman Chandra Ishikawa (Kawagoe, Japan) opened with a thrilling comeback against Imperial Valley's Gilbert Cruz. After dropping the first set, Ishikawa found another gear, taking the second and outlasting his opponent in a nail-biting 13-11 super tiebreak. Though exhausted, he returned for a second-round clash with the #2 seed Abel Martinez Mosqueda (San Diego City) but came up short, 6-1, 6-3.

Sophomore Travis Pimentel (Indio Shadow Hills) showed veteran poise in his first match, rebounding from a set down to edge Mt. San Jacinto's Jesus Guadarrama 3-6, 6-2 (11-9). Carrying that momentum forward, Pimentel took down Imperial Valley's Jacob Montesions in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, securing a coveted All-Conference nod and a spot in Ojai.

Dynamic Doubles: A Roadrunner Team Rises

In doubles action, the duo of Jimenez and Rubio fought valiantly against the #4-seeded Mt. San Jacinto pair but fell 8-3.

The spotlight then shifted to the Roadrunner pair of Pimentel and Ishikawa, who brought chemistry and confidence to the court. As the #6 seed, they faced off against Mt. SAC's Aidan Lopez and Micah Welch and emerged victorious, 8-3, earning their ticket to Ojai.

Their run came to an end in the next round against El Camino's formidable team of Shubham Waldiya and Tarik Hossain, falling 8-1. But the mission was already accomplished—qualification for the most prestigious stage in California community college tennis.

What's Next

With the stage now set for the 3C2A State Championships in Ojai, Pimentel and Ishikawa will carry the torch for COD Tennis. Pimentel, closing out his sophomore year with a standout performance, will look to finish strong. Ishikawa, already making waves in his freshman season, promises to be a cornerstone for the future of Roadrunner Tennis.

Head Coach Bruno Jaeger was full of praise: "What these two accomplished, especially in such pressure-packed matches, is a testament to their work ethic and love for the game. Ojai is where legends are made—and they've earned their shot."

Singles:

Round of 32:
Travis Pimentel (COD) def. Jesus Guadarrama (MSJC) 3-6, 6-2 (11-9)
Chandra Ishikawa (COD) def. Gilbert Cruz (IVC) 4-6, 6-3 (13-11)
Micah Welch (MSAC) def. Matthew Rubio (COD) 6-3, 4-6 (10-8)
David Witter (SDCC) def. Nathaniel Jimenez (COD) 6-0, 6-2
Thomas Lynch (SDCC) def. Jonathan Cruz Gonzalez (COD) 6-0, 6-0

Round of 16:
Travis Pimentel (COD) def. Jacob Montesions (IVC) 6-3, 6-2
Abel Martinez Mosqueda (SDCC) def. Chandra Ishikawa (COD) 6-1, 6-3

Doubles:

Round of 16:
Michael Masarani / Landon Bristow (MSJC) def. Nathaniel Jimenez / Matthew Rubio (COD) 8-3
Travis Pimentel / Chandra Ishikawa (COD) def. Aidan Lopez / Micah Welch (MSAC) 8-3

Round of 8:
Shubham Waldiya / Tarik Hossain (ECC) def. Travis Pimentel / Chandra Ishikawa (COD) 8-1

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Information, Photo & Story provided by COD Sports Information.