North Little Rock, Ark. – The top-seeded
Trinity Tigers men are once again the tennis champions of the
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.
Trinity (14-12) won the title for the second straight year (16th
overall), with a 6-3 victory over second-seeded DePauw Sunday at
Burns Park Tennis Center. Last year, the Tigers beat DePauw 5-3 to
win their first SCAC Championship since 2006.
Led by second-year head coach Russell McMindes, the Tigers also
gained an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Regionals May
13-15, at a site to be determined. The NCAA Team Championship is
slated for May 24-26, and the singles and doubles event for May
27-29 at Claremont, Calif.
The Tigers, ranked 11th nationally, won two of the three doubles
matches from the No. 17 DePauw Tigers. Bobby Cocanougher and Cory
Kowal, NCAA doubles finalists last year, won the No. 1 match by
edging Noah Swiler and Sam Miles 9-8. Max Frey and Erick DelaFuente
took No. 2 doubles, beating Hunter Schouweller and Michael Rardon
8-4. DePauw won No. 3 doubles as Reid Garlock and David Moss beat
Ben Carroll and Don Murray 8-4.
Trinity's Greg Haugen gave the Tigers a 3-1 lead by winning
No. 5 singles 6-0, 6-0 over Garlock. DelaFuente was next in the win
column, defeating Schouweller 6-3, 6-4 at No 3 singles. The
clincher came at No. 1 singles as Frey outfought Rardon 6-7, 6-4,
6-0.
Carroll widened the Tigers lead to 6-1 after a three-set 6-1, 3-6,
6-2 win over Andrew Kahn at No. 6 singles.
Miles beat Cocanougher 5-7, 6-2, 4-2, retired at No. 2 singles; and
Swiler was a 6-7, 6-2, 4-5, retired winner over Kowal at No. 4
singles. Both Cocanougher and Kowal retired after the outcome of
the match had been decided.
TRINITY 6, DEPAUW 3
Doubles
1. Bobby Cocanougher/Cory Kowal,
Trinity, def. Noah Swiler/Sam Miles 9-8
2. Max Frey/Erick DelaFuente,
Trinity, def. Hunter Schouweller/Michael Rardon 8-4
3. Reid Garlock/David Moss, DePauw,
def. Ben Carroll/Don Murray 8-4
Singles
1. Frey, Trinity, def. Rardon 6-7,
6-4, 6-0
2. Miles, DePauw, def. Cocanougher
5-7, 6-2, 4-2, retired
3. DelaFuente, Trinity, def.
Schouweller 6-3, 6-4
4. Swiler, DePauw, def. Kowal 6-7,
6-2, 4-5, retired
5. Greg Haugen, Trinity, def. Garlock
6-0, 6-0
6. Carroll, Trinity, def. Andrew Kahn
6-1, 3-6, 6-2
