2008 ITA Division III National Team Indoor Championships
Intercollegiate Tennis Association
2008 Division III National Team Indoor Championships
Hosted by Gustavus Adolphus College
February 22-24
Gustavus Adolphus Edges UC-Santa Cruz 5-4 To Claim ITA Division III National Men's Team Indoor Championship, Washington University Defeats Emory 7-2 For Third Place
SAINT PETER, Minn. - The Gustavus men's tennis team claimed its fourth Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division III Men's Indoor Championship with a thrilling 5-4 win over #1 seed and defending champion UC-Santa Cruz on Sunday afternoon. The Gusties picked up two doubles wins and three singles victories to compile the five points necessary to win the match. Washington University, the #5 seed, defeated #2 seed Emory University, 7-2 to claim third place honors. The tournament was played at the Swanson Tennis Center on the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College.
In the championship match, Gustavus jumped out to a 2-1 lead after doubles play as Mike Burdakin and John Kauss defeated Max Liberty-Point and Ilya Gendelman 8-4 at the #2 position and Ben Tomasek and Nick Hansen defeated Max Ortiz and Colin Mark-Griffin 8-2 at the #3 position. UC-Santa Cruz claimed one doubles point when Jared Kamel and Marc Vartabedian defeated Andy Bryan and Charlie Paukert 8-4. In singles play, John Kauss defeated Max Ortiz 6-2, 6-4 at the #2 position to give the Gusties a 3-1 lead. UC-Santa Cruz's Colin Mark-Griffin defeated Mike Burdakin 6-4, 6-4 at the #3 position to cut the lead to 3-2. Gustavus pushed its lead back to two points at 4-2, when Andy Bryan won a gruelling two-and-a-half hour match over Jared Kamel 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 at the #1 position. The Gusties picked up the decisive fifth point when Ben Tomasek defeated Marc Vartabedian 6-1, 6-3 at the #5 position. UC-Santa Cruz battled back to win #5 and #6 singles making the final scored 5-4 in favor of Gustavus.
Gustavus claimed its fourth ITA Division III Team Indoor Title in the eight-year historyof the tournament (2002, 2003, 2006, 2008). The other four titles have been won by UC-Santa Cruz (2001, 2007) and Emory (2004, 2005). The Gusties defeated #6 seed Trinity (7-2), #2 seed Emory (6-3), and #1 seed UC-Santa Cruz (5-4) to claim the title.
Washington University earned third place honors with a convincing 7-2 win over Emory University. The Bears got off to a quick start by winning all three doubles matches and then clinched the match with wins by John Watts at #1 singles and Danny Levy at #3 singles.
The consolation matches were completed late Saturday night as Trinity University defeated Mary Washington University 7-2 to finish fifth, while DePauw University defeated Johns Hopkins University 7-2 to finish seventh. Eight teams participated in the tournament.
UC-Santa Cruz and Gustavus Adolphus Advance to Finals at ITA Division III National Men's Team Indoor Championships
SAINT PETER, Minn. - The Gustavus men's tennis team advanced to the championship match of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) Division III Indoor Championship with a 6-3 win over #2 Emory on Saturday afternoon. The Gusties, who are the #3 seed, will face #1 UC-Santa Cruz in the title match on Sunday, Feb. 24 at 9:00 am. UC-Santa Cruz defeated #5 Washington University (St. Louis, Mo.) 6-3 in the other semifinal match. Emory will face Washington University in the third place match which will also begin at 9:00 am on Sunday. The tournament is being played at the Swanson Tennis Center on the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College.
On Saturday, Gustavus jumped out to a 3-0 lead after doubles play and then posted three wins in singles play to claim the 6-3 victory over Emory University (Atlanta, Ga.). All three doubles matches were tightly contested. Andy Bryan and Charlie Paukert of Gustavus defeated Michael Goodwin and Colin Egan of Emory, 8-3 at the #1 position and then the Gusties #2 tandem of John Kauss and Mike Burdakin defeated Hardy Ehlers and David Caplan, 9-7. Gustavus wrapped up the doubles sweep with Ben Tomasek and Nick Hansen defeating Chris Redmond and Mark Boren, 8-6.
Leading 3-0, Gustavus wrapped up the match with wins at #1 and #2 singles as Andy Bryan defeated Michael Goodwin 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 at #1 and then John Kauss defeated Mark Boren 6-3, 6-4 at #2. With the match decided at 5-0, Emory fought back to win three of the final four matches to make the final score 6-3. Gustavus' Aaron Zenner claimed the final singles win as he defeated Chris Jordan 6-4, 6-1 at the #6 position.
In the other semifinal, UC-Santa Cruz also led 3-0 after doubles play. All three matches were very competitive, especially at the #1 position Jared Kamel and Marc Vartabedian of UC-Santa Cruz defeated Charlie Cutler and Chris Hoeland 9-8 (8-6).
Washington University cut the lead to 3-1 when John Watts defeated Jared Kamel 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 at #1 singles, however the Banana Slugs bounced back to win #2 and #3 singles to clinch the match at 5-1. Max Ortiz (UCSC) defeated Charlie Cutler (WU) 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 at #2 and then Colin Mark-Griffin (UCSC) defeated Danny Levy (WU) 6-3, 6-4 at #3 to record the five points necessary to win the match. Washington University won two of the final three singles matches (#4 and #6) to make the final score 6-3.
UC-Santa Cruz, Gustavus Adolphus, Emory (Ga), and Washington (Mo) in semifinals at ITA Division III National Men's Team Indoor Championships
SAINT PETER, MINN. - Top-seed and defending champion UC-Santa Cruz, No. 2 seed Emory, No. 3 seed and host Gustavus Adolphus, and No. 5 Washington University (Mo.) posted quarterfinal wins Friday at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division III National Men's Team Indoor Championships. Gustavus Adolphus is hosting this year's championship for the sixth consecutive year at the Swanson Tennis Center.
Defending champion UC-Santa Cruz beat No. 8 Mary Washington 6-3, and will face Washington (Mo.), winners over DePauw, in tomorrow's 2 p.m. semifinals. No. 2 seed Emory (Ga.) beat Johns Hopkins 6-3, and will face host Gustavus Adolphus in the other semifinal at 2 p.m.
Host Gustavus Adolphus had a convincing first round win, as they beat Trinity (Texas), 7-2. Wins at Nos. 1 and 2 doubles put the Golden Gusties up 2-1 after doubles were over, and Gustavus only increased the lead from there. The Gusties won at every singles match except for No. 4, and dropped only three sets in the win. Varun Mujal had Trinity's lone singles win, as he beat Charlie Paukert, 4-6, 7-5, 10-8 (match tiebreaker). The Gusties got wins from Andy Bryan, John Kauss, Muke Burdakin, Ben Tomasek and Aaron Zenner in singles.
Eight of the top 25 teams in Division III tennis are playing off to determine the 2008 ITA National Indoor Champion.
Saturday's schedule has the losers of Friday's matches playing in consolation matches beginning at 8:30 a.m., while the winners will play in semifinal matches beginning at 2 p.m. Consolation finals are slated to start at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. The third place and championship matches will begin at 9 a.m. on Sunday morning.
-Story by Casey Snedecor, ITA Media Relations Director
Gustavus Set to Host Eighth Annual ITA Division III Indoor Championships
ST. PETER, MINN. - Gustavus Adolphus College is set to host the eighth annual Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Division III Indoor Championship at the Swanson Tennis Center in St. Peter, Minnesota. Eight of the top 25 teams in Division III tennis will play off to determine the 2008 ITA National Indoor Champion. The 2001 ITA Indoor and defending champion University of California, Santa Cruz will defend its title as the #1 seed. The Golden Gusties will be the #3 seed entering the tournament.
Joining UC-Santa Cruz (#1 in the current ITA Div. III poll) and Gustavus (#5), will be Emory University of Atlanta, Georgia (#2), DePauw University of Greencastle, Indiana (#6), Washington University of St. Louis, Missouri (#7), Trinity University of San Antonio, Texas (#9), Johns Hopkins University of Baltimore, Maryland (#11), and University of Mary Washington of Fredericksburg, Virginia (#12). Johns Hopkins is appearing in the ITA Indoor Championships for the first time.
The tournament will begin on Friday morning with #1 UC-Santa Cruz facing #8 Mary Washington and #2 Emory will battle #7 Johns Hopkins at 11:30 am. In the afternoon, #3 Gustavus will play #6 Trinity (Texas) and #4 DePauw playing #5 Washington University (Missouri). The afternoon matches are slated to begin at 5:00 pm. Saturday's schedule has the losers of Friday's matches playing in consolation matches beginning at 8:30 am, while the winners will play in semifinal matches beginning at 2:00 pm. Consolation finals are slated to start at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. The third place and championship matches will begin at 9:00 am on Sunday morning.
Many of the top players in Division III will be taking part in the tournament including six of the top 10 ranked singles players. Some of the top ranked players include John Watts of Washington University (Missouri), Mark Boren of Emory, Randy Loden of Mary Washington, Jared Kamel of UC-Santa Cruz, Oliver Gaines of Trinity (TX), and Andy Bryan of Gustavus.
In doubles play, five of the top 10 tandems in the country will be present including Charlie Cutler and Chris Hoeland of Washington University (Missouri), Andy Bryan and Charlie Paukert of Gustavus, Michael Goodwin and Oliver Lopp of Emory, Bobby Coconougher and Cory Kowal of Trinity (TX), and Scott Swanson and Kortney Keith of DePauw.
This will be the sixth consecutive year that the ITA Division III Indoor Championships have been held at the Swanson Tennis Center on the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, Minnesota.
