MANKATO, Minn. – The University of Northwestern St. Paul Men's Tennis team split a pair of matches against Bethany Lutheran and Gustavus Adolphus on Thursday. The Eagles fell to the Gusties, but bested the Vikings 7-2 to earn their 16th win and set the new program record for most wins in a single season.
With the contest against the Vikings beginning at 4pm and the battle with the Gusties at 4:30pm, the Eagles split their squad to take on both opponents at the same time. The half that faced the Gusties fought hard but fell 9-0 in the match. The group that challenged the Vikings, however, made history for the program.
The Eagles opened their match in Mankato with a pair of doubles wins. The team of Darin Rupp (Sioux Falls, S.D./Roosevelt) and Joel Fremling (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) swept their #2 match 8-0, and the duo of Zachary Revenig (Monticello, Minn./Monticello) and Collin Hemann (Newton, Iowa/Newton) cruised to an 8-1 win at the #3 spot.
Up 2-1, the match entered the singles competition where the Eagles took five of six. Rupp took the #2 singles match in a 6-4, 6-0 victory. The #3 match was won by Caleb Quernmoen (Becker, Minn./Becker) in a 6-0, 6-3 final. Fremling rolled to a 6-1, 6-0 win at the #4 spot. #5 singles saw Hemann sweep his way to a 6-0, 6-0 win. At #6 singles, Revenig won a decisive 6-1, 6-1 victory.
With the win, the Eagles improve to 16-2 on the year and set a new benchmark for wins in a single season by the program. The previous record was set two years ago by the 2019 squad, who went 15-9 on the season. This year's team still has six regular-season games remaining on their schedule, leaving the opportunity wide open to build up their record far more before the season concludes.
Up next for Northwestern is a home match on Tuesday, April 20, at 4pm as the Eagles host the Martin Luther College Knights for a UMAC battle.
