U of R Men's Tennis Reveals Youthful Talent at ITA West Regional Championships

U of R Men's Tennis Reveals Youthful Talent at ITA West Regional Championships

The University of Redlands men's tennis team took on top competition at the annual Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) West Regional Fall Championships in Claremont over the weekend.  The three-day outing provided excellent opportunities for high-quality matches that culminated in impressive showings by the newer members of the team.

First-year Thomas Reznik (Belmont, CA) impressed in his Bulldog debut by advancing through Flight B of the Men's Singles to the championship match.  He battled to a three-set victory in her first and second rounds, topping a player from Colorado College, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, and then prevailing over a Caltech competitor by scores of 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.  He took on Connor Soohoo, also from Caltech, in the quarterfinals and prevailed in a 6-3, 6-4 effort.  During the semifinals, he came out victorious against Pomona-Pitzer College's Jansen Comadena, a Redlands High School product, in another three-setter, 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-4.  Despite falling in the final, Reznik shined with outstanding results throughout the weekend.

First-year Henry McNeal (Coronado, CA) also put together a solid opening performance in the Maroon and Gray.  After falling in the first round of the B Flight, he bounced back to make it to the final of the consolation bracket.  He registered wins over Avery Bicks from Pomona-Pitzer, 6-7(3), 7-6(5), 10-8, and Parth Desai, also a Sagehen, by scores of 1-6, 7-5, 12-10.

In doubles, senior Chase Lipscomb (Irvine, CA) and junior Brad Cummins (Rancho Mirage, CA) made their way to the quarterfinals of Flight A.  The dynamic duo knocked off Sam Hum and Noah Forman of Colorado College, 8-7(1), before cruising to an 8-2 victory over Pomona-Pitzer's Jacob Schoenherr and Octave Bellet. 

Finally, Reznik and sophomore Brysl Libao (Redlands, CA) won the consolation bracket of the A Flight in another impressive showing.  They topped a team from Cal Lutheran University, 8-2, before taking down Occidental College's Cameron Coe and Lucas Chmielewski, 8-1.  The Bulldog duo met up with teammates, McNeal and first-year Andrew Yip (Honolulu, HI), in the semifinals, and captured the 8-5 result.  Reznik and Libao continued to roll with an 8-1 thrashing of Hum and Forman for the consolation championship.

Redlands looks forward to the start of the spring schedule on Saturday, February 2, when it heads to Azusa Pacific University at 9 a.m. and then hosts Point Loma Nazarene University at 2 p.m.