OWATONNA, Minn. - UNW Men's Tennis took on a double-header Saturday, leaving Owatonna with a 1-1 record on the day. After falling to St. Scholastica, the Eagles rallied to battle for a 4-3 win against Buena Vista.
Match One: College of St. Scholastica Saints
While the Eagles lost the doubles point, there were some great matches at No. 1 doubles (
Carson Haack (Elk River, Minn./Elk River) and
Griffen Jarchow (Luverne, Minn./Luverne)) and No. 3 (
Caleb Swigart (Cottage Grove, Minn./Park) and
Caleb Jergenson (Livingston, Mont./Park)), ending in 5-7 and 4-6 losses, respectively.
Isaac Thomforde (Crookston, Minn./Crookston) and
Sam Majerus (River Falls, Wis./River Falls) battled at No. 2 doubles, but ultimately fell 0-6.
The Saints came out swinging in singles, rattling off a few quick wins at three and five singles, both ending with 0-6, 0-6 results. At No. 4 singles, Majerus put up a great fight, getting points on the board in both sets, but fell 4-6, 2-6. Haack battled with CSS's Jonas Abeleda, but was outlasted by the Saints' number one, ending in a 1-6, 2-6 result. Jarchow (two singles) and Jergenson (six singles) put up similar scores, both falling 2-6 in the first set and ending 2-6 and 3-6 in the second, respectively.
Match Two: Buena Vista University Beavers
The Eagles then suited up again, this time to take on Buena Vista. One (Haack and Jarchow) and two (Majerus and Thomforde) doubles battled to 4-6 results, which resulted in the Beavers clinching the doubles point. While the doubles point had already been secured, the No. 3 doubles team of
Caleb Swigart (Cottage Grove, Minn./Park) and
Sam Kettelhut (Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View) had a tight 5-7 result.
Where the Eagles really began to shine was in singles. Majerus gave them a boost, winning his match at three singles handily, 6-1, 6-3. Swigart also took care of business at six singles, bringing home his first college win with a 6-0, 6-4 result. Haack unfortunately had to medically retire early in the first set, evening out the match score to 2-2. After a tough first set, Jergenson worked to battle back in the second set before ultimately falling, 1-6, 4-6. This now put both Jarchow and Thomforde in must-win situations.
Thomforde's first set did not start as desired, but he gained momentum and secured the set. He kept the ball rolling in the second, going home with a 7-5, 6-1 final score. Jarchow won his first set 6-3, but fell in the second 3-6, making the third set tiebreak a match decider. The moment was not too big for Jarchow, who took care of business with a 10-7 score.
With their first win of the season in tow, the Eagles will have a couple of weeks off from competition before taking on Millsaps College on March 10
th to open their annual Spring Break trip.
