CCIW Championship Web Site

Elmhurst 5, Carthage 4

The Carthage College men's tennis team (19-8, 4-1 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) bowed to Elmhurst College (15-8), 5-4, on Friday, May 4 in the semifinals of CCIW Men's Tennis Championship at Augustana College (Ill.) in Rock Island, Ill.  Wheaton College (Ill., 17-5) edged Augustana College (Ill., 16-10), 5-4, in the other semifinal contest. 

In first-round play, Elmhurst blanked North Central College (3-15), 6-0, and Augustana ((lll.) won over Illinois Wesleyan University by a 5-3 margin.  In Friday's final match, Illinois Wesleyan (7-10) beat North Central (Ill., 3-16), 5-1 for fifth place.  On Saturday, May 5, Carthage takes on Augustana (Ill., 16-10) in the third-place match at 10 a.m., followed by Elmhurst (15-8) versus Wheaton (Ill., 17-5) at 1:30 p.m. for the conference championship.

In the win over Elmhurst, Jeff Lotz Jr. (Jr., Racine, Wis./Horlick, 26-10), ranked 15th in the Central Region by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, continued his winning ways by defeating Alex Harbert, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2, at No. 1 singles. Daneric Hazelman (Sr., Lautoka, Fiji Islands, 28-7) lost to Will Jung at No. 2 singles, 6-4, 6-2. Matt Whiteside (Sr., Sacramento, Calif./Natomas Pacific Pathways Prep, 24-5) knocked off Vincent McPherson, 6-3, 7-5, at No. 3 singles. Alex McLean (Sr., Belleville, Ill./West, 11-22) was defeated by Luke Tanaka, 6-0, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4), at No. 4 singles. Nick Boomgarden (Sr., Fitchburg, Wis./Verona Area, 16-20) lost to Kevin Noble, 6-4, 6-4, at No. 5 singles and Brian Howes (Jr., Bartlett, Ill., 13-18) fell to Justin Guenther, 6-3, 6-4, at No. 6 singles.

The Red Men's No. 1 doubles team of Lotz and Hazelman (32-3), ranked fourth in the region, defeated Harbert and Jung, 9-7. The No. 2 duo of Whiteside and Boomgarden (22-8) was the winner over McPherson and Noble, 8-4. Carthage's No. 3 doubles unit of McLean and Conner Moon (Fr., Sussex, Wis./Woodstock, Ill./Marian Central Catholic, 10-19) lost to Tanaka and Guenther, 9-7.