Tennis Results: May 12
Grace Men 4, Oakland City 0
Grace’s men’s tennis continued its march through its first NCCAA National Championships.
The Lancers swept Oakland City 4-0 on Wednesday. The win secures Grace as the winner of its pool, setting up a showdown in the NCCAA national semifinals.
Grace will take on NCAA Div. II Dallas Baptist on Thursday at 11 a.m. (Eastern) in the semifinals. The winner will play either Campbellsville or Judson in the national championship on Friday at 11 a.m.
The Lancers won the doubles’ point quickly to take an early edge. Facundo Paredes and Ivan Antinori won 6-1 at No. 3 doubles, and Max Rozas and Mauricio Corty secured a 6-2 win at No. 2.
Grace only needed three singles’ points to secure the win, and the team found them in rapid succession.
Ramiro Candia was nearly flawless (6-1, 6-0) at No. 5 singles. Corty cruised to a 6-3, 6-0 victory at No. 6, and David Sandi polished off his opponent 6-1, 6-2 at No. 3.
The Lancers are in the midst of a two-week stint in Mobile, Ala. Grace will remain on site for next week’s NAIA National Championships, competing for the first time as a full team since 1988.
Day One At NLCs
Play opened Wednesday at the NorthWood Tennis Complex for the Northern Lakes Conference Girls Tennis Championships.
NorthWood had four of its five courts advance to the winner’s bracket with victories. Gabriella Umbower and Britton Jesse both earned straight set wins over their Concord opponents while both doubles teams also advanced. Paige Henschen and Kate Stillson knocked out Warsaw’s Anna Brehany and Kennedy Wiedeman at two dubs while Amy Adams and Emery Porter swept Goshen to move on. Ashlyn Feller lost her No. 3 singles matchup against Plymouth.
Warsaw saw Megan Mishler win her No. 3 singles matchup against Mishawaka, and the one dubs team of Marie Frazzetta and Peri Britton advance over Concord. Paige Zawadzki and Regan Brouwer both lost to the top seeds in their bracket, Zawadzki to Northridge and Brouwer to Plymouth.
Wawasee went 0-5 in its matchups, Farrington the lone singles upset with a one and three loss to Goshen. Casey Yankosky and Kaitlynn Jackson lost to Goshen and Concord, and both doubles teams of Tate Cowan and Abby Morehead at one and Kenley Stewart and Allison Clark at two lost to Plymouth doubles teams.
Play continues Thursday at Concord, where Northridge and Plymouth send out all five of their courts to the winner’s bracket while NorthWood looks to stay in the rearview window.
The finals are set for Friday back at NorthWood.
Day One At HNACs
Triton is in position to potentially win three individual titles after the semi-finals of the Hoosier North Athletic Conference Girls Tennis Championships held at Knox.
Molly McFarland at No. 1 defeated Carissa Kulpa of Knox two and one, the No.1 doubles team Lexia Hostrawser and Emma Hepler beat Knox’s Kennedy Holst and Katie Bridgegroom love and love, and Cheyenne Hawley and Danica Kuntz dropped Miranda McCarty and Sam McGrath of Knox one and four to highlight the three Triton wins.
Madeline Ritchison and Sadie Barber both lost singles courts to Becka Bower and Megan Kurzhal, both of LaVille.
The Trojans (4-2) will need to win all three courts and get some help as North Judson (5-1) won all five of its courts to advance to the finals fully intact.
Championship play for the HNAC finals is set for Thursday at Knox.