By: Jake Timm (@GBJakeT)
GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – The Green Bay men's tennis team clinched the 2015 Horizon League regular season title outright with a 6-1 win over Wright State on Sunday morning.
The Phoenix clinched a share of the conference championship last weekend, but claimed the title for their own by defeating the Raiders. Green Bay finished the season as the only team undefeated in conference play at 6-0. This is the Phoenix's fourth consecutive regular-season title.
Green Bay (16-7) got off to a good start when it clinched the doubles point thanks to wins from the No. 2 doubles team of juniors Howard Scott (Exeter, England) and Joey Leto (Downers Grove, Ill.), and the No. 3 doubles team of Leopold Gomez Islinger (Weiden, Germany) and Michael Tebon (Excelsior, Minn.).
Scott was the first singles player to clinch his match, giving Green Bay a 2-0 lead with a 6-3, 6-4 win at No. 3 singles. Islinger followed moments later with a 6-1, 6-3 win at No. 2 singles, giving Green Bay a 3-0 lead.
Freshman Florian Kraenzler (Puchheim, Germany) came through at No. 4 singles and was able to clinch the match, and the outright title, for the Phoenix. Kraenzler continued his outstanding freshman campaign for Green Bay, raising his singles record to 14-6.
Green Bay had already clinched the top seed at the Horizon League Championship tournament, set to take place April 24-26 at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.
“The goal this season was to be the lone champion, and we did that,” said head coach Mark Thomas. “Everyone goes back to 0-0 now. This gives us confidence going into the conference tournament, but we have to play our best tennis to come home champions.”
“This is by far the best the league has been since I got here,” said Scott. “The tournament is tough. Everyone plays ten times better than the regular season, so if we don't play our best we won't win it.”
Green Bay 6 – Wright State 1
Singles
No. 1 Lauri Makikalli (WSU) def. Michael Tenzer (GB) 6-2, 6-3
No. 2 Leopold Gomez Islinger (GB) def. Andrew Connolly 6-1, 6-3
No. 3 Howard Scott (GB) def. Jose Pestana 6-3, 6-4
No. 4 Florian Kraenzler (GB) def. Dan Gilbert 6-2, 6-4
No. 5 Joshua Schramm (GB) def. Mason Bourbon 6-2, 6-1
No. 6 Joey Leto (GB) def. Marc Sodini 2-6, 6-1, 6-2
Doubles
No. 1 Tenzer/Kraenzler (GB) vs. Makikalli/Connolly (WSU) DNF
No. 2 Scott/Leto (GB) def. Gilbert/Bourbon (WSU) 6-3
No. 3 Islinger/Michael Tebon (GB) def. Aaron Madaris/Diego Venegas (WSU) 6-4
#
For the latest and most up-to-date information on Green Bay Athletics, please visit GreenBayPhoenix.com.
Follow us on Twitter: @GBPhoenix and @GBPhoenixMTEN.
Like Green Bay Phoenix men's tennis and Green Bay Phoenix Athletics on Facebook.
---GreenBayPhoenix.com---
