Men's Tennis News Releases

Rams finish fifth at IIAC Team Championships

Ram review - Sixth-seeded Cornell rallied for a 5-2 victory over No. 5 seed University of Dubuque to take fifth place at the Iowa Conference Men's Tennis Team Championships, held Thursday in Cedar Rapids and Mount Vernon.

The Rams (10-20 overall) opened the six-team tournament with a 5-0 setback to No. 3 seed Central in the first round. The loss put Cornell in the fifth-place match against Dubuque, which edged the Rams 5-4 only 12 days prior in Mount Vernon.

Cornell took two of the three doubles matches from the Spartans and then ended the dual early with three singles victories. Juniors John Mineck (Cedar Rapids/Kennedy and Ryan Walden (Edina, Minn./Edina) each finished 2-0 to lead the Rams to victory.

Mineck scored a 6-2, 0-6, 6-2 win at No. 2 singles and teamed with freshman Kris Andresen (Katy, Texas/Taylor) for an 8-2 triumph at No. 1 doubles. Walden and Brandon Wolff (Keokuk/Keokuk) prevailed 9-8 (7-5) at No. 3 doubles with Walden also taking a straight-set win at No. 5 singles. Senior Courtland Olson (Afton, Minn./Woodbury) claimed Cornell's other victory, a 6-0, 6-2 decision at No. 6 singles.

Cornell competed in the IIAC Individual Championships Friday in Cedar Rapids. Mineck was the Rams' top individual finisher, advancing to the quarterfinals in Flight B singles. He recorded a 6-1, 7-6 opening-round win over Central's Jacob Veldhuizen and then moved past the second round with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Wartburg's Pat Mullen. Mineck fell 6-4, 6-1 in the quarterfinals to Joe LaFountaine of Luther.

Olson, Wolff and Klauer each won one match in Flight B singles before bowing out of the tournament.

Klauer and Olson reached the quarterfinals in Flight B doubles. After receiving a first-round bye, the duo scored an 8-5 win over Simpson. Klauer and Olson fell 8-4 in the quarterfinals to eventual champions Tyler Zinnecker and Cole Henry of Luther.

Wolff and Walden finished 1-1 in Flight B doubles. Andresen and Mineck lost their only bout in Flight A doubles.    

Team leaders - Walden led the Rams in singles wins this season, posting a 14-12 record. Klauer (11-20), Olson (11-16) and Wolff (10-22) also reached double figures in singles wins. Cornell's No. 3 tandem of Walden and Wolff finished 12-10 in doubles competition. Klauer and Olson went 10-17 as partners.  

Iowa Conference Individual Championships
May 1-2, Cedar Rapids

Flight A Singles
First Round
Mark Mateski (Lut) def. Kris Andresen 6-1, 6-0.

Flight B Singles
First Round
Courtland Olson (Cor) def. Aaron Masterson (Wart) 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 1-0 (10-8); Brandon Wolff (Cor) def. Devin Robertson (BV) 6-4, 6-1; Neal Klauer (Cor) def. Erick Stephas (BV) 6-1, 6-0; John Mineck (Cor) def. Jacob Veldhuizen (Cen) 6-1, 7-6 (7-3); Kyle Shilling (Sim) def. Ryan Walden (Cor) 6-1, 4-6, 1-0 (10-4).
Second Round
Tyler Zinnecker (Lut) def. Olson 6-3, 6-1; Noah Saunders (Sim) def. Wolff 6-3, 6-1; H. Cole Henry (Lut) def. Klauer 6-3, 6-2; Mineck (Cor) def. Pat Mullen (War) 6-4, 6-4.
Quarterfinals
Joe LaFountaine (Lut) def. Mineck 6-4, 6-1.

Flight A Doubles
First Round
Whitely/Gendron (Lut) def. Andresen/Mineck 8-5.

Flight B Doubles
First Round
Klauer/Olson (Cor) receive bye; Wolff/Walden (Cor) def. Wigg/Coleman (BV) 8-4.
Second Round
Klauer/Olson (Cor) def. Riesselman/Summit (Sim) 8-5; Veldhuizen/Druvenga (Cen) def. Wolff/Walden 8-6.
Quarterfinals
Zinnecker/Henry (Lut) def. Klauer/Olson 8-4. 

Iowa Conference Team Championships
April 30, Cedar Rapids/Mount Vernon
Fifth Place
Cornell 5, Dubuque 2
Singles - Andresen (Cor) vs. Claudio Giraldi 6-3, 2-6, 1-2, unfinished; Mineck (Cor) def. Austin Stewart 6-2, 0-6, 6-2; Cory McCarthy (Dub) vs. Klauer, no result; David Jacobsen (Dub) def. Wolff 6-2, 6-0; Walden (Cor) def. Jonathan Kroll 6-4, 6-2; Olson (Cor) def. Giordana Dasio 6-0, 6-2. Doubles - Andresen/Mineck (Cor) def. Giraldi/McCarthy 8-2; Stewart/Jacobsen (Dub) def. Klauer/Olson 8-3; Wolff/Walden (Cor) def. Kroll/Lucas Pipenhagen 9-8 (7-5).

First Round
Central 5, Cornell 0
Singles - Lucas Boyd (Cen) def. Andresen 6-2, 6-3; Dan Bowser (Cen) def. Mineck 6-2, 0-6, 1-0 (10-6); Jacob Dreyer (Cen) def. Klauer 6-1, 6-2; Seth Harris (Cen) def. Wolff 6-2, 6-1; Chris Lensing (Cen) def. Walden 6-1, 6-1; Jacob Veldhuizen (Cen) vs. Olson 6-2, 1-0, unfinished. Doubles - Boyd/Bowser (Cen) vs. Andresen/Mineck 2-3, unfinished.