TIFTON — After roughly 32 hours of bus rides from Georgia to Texas, and back again, along with numerous rain delays, the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Stallions tennis team finally got back home around 3:30 Saturday morning.

The team’s trip to Plano for the NJCAA National Men’s Tennis Tournament had proven to be a fruitful one as ABAC brought home a third-place plaque from the national event.

It was a remarkable run for the Stallions as ABAC had entered the nationals at Collin County (Texas) Community College ranked eighth nationally. However, those rankings did not show what the Stallions could do as a team.

“Paul Fitzgerald lived up to his National Player of the Year award, as well as his pre-tournament words about the team being prepared to compete,” said coach Alan Kramer, who said before the tournament he did not know what to expect from his squad.

Laredo (Texas) won the event with 47 points, while Tyler (Texas) came in second with 41.

ABAC’s 33 gave the Stallions one more point than fourth-place Vincennes (Ind.) University.

Kramer felt his team did it the old-fashioned way — they earned it.

“ABAC's success at the national tournament last week was a complete team effort and these 2008 Stallions showed that supporting one another and giving everything you have on the court can earn you third place in the nation,” said Kramer.

On the last day of the tournament, ABAC had three players in finals matches in singles, and one in a consolation finals.

At No. 1 singles, Fitzgerald fell 6-0, 6-1 to Moacir Santos of Laredo in the finals. At No. 4, ABAC’s Evandro Rosindo was defeated 6-2, 6-3 by Maxime Moreau of Laredo.

Finally, ABAC’s Oliver Smith was defeated 6-2, 6-0 by Tyler’s Clay Cypert.

In the consolation finals, Matt Holland helped ABAC seal up third place with an 8-0 win over Jason Vinson of Itawamba (Miss.). That win gave ABAC an insurance 1/2 point in the final standings.

It was a remarkable week as the Stallions, as well as the other teams involved had to play four days of matches into three and 1/2 days.

But, the Stallions came through for themselves and their coach.

“Talent-wise we were probably five or six in the country on paper, but when a team is as determined as this one you can shred that paper,” said Kramer. “The week was all about momentum and ceasing it at every available opportunity.”