The Richard Ettinger Tennis Courts on the campus of Whittier College. Photo courtesy of Whittier Athletics.
The No. 24 Gustavus men’s tennis team kicked off its training trip to California with a 5-4 victory over No. 20 Whittier College on Tuesday afternoon in Whittier, California. Despite dropping two points in the doubles competition, the Gusties battled back with four wins in singles to earn their ninth-straight victory. Gustavus improves to 14-4 overall, while the Poets drop to 9-7.
In doubles, Amrik Donkena and Mya Smith-Dennis picked up Gustavus’ lone win with a narrow 8-6 victory over Julian Seneviratne and Patricio Carregha.
To go along with a win from Smith-Dennis over Chris Schommer 6-1, 6-4 at No. 2 singles, Gustavus got three points from the bottom half of its lineup. Tyler Johnson and Joey MacGibbon both came out away with three-set victories; Johnson 7-6, 6-7, 7-5 over Andrew Hansen, and MacGibbon 6-1, 2-6, 6-2 over Shogo Shimizu. Bradley Entwistle rounded out the group with a 6-2, 6-1 win over David De Leon.
Gustavus will travel to Pomona, Calif. to take on Pomona-Pitzer Colleges on Wednesday, April 4 at 3:30 p.m. Gustavus and Pomona-Pitzer met each other earlier this season at the ITA National Indoor Championship. The Sagehens took the match by the score of 6-3.
Singles Competition
1. Julian Seneviratne (WHIT) def. Amrik Donkena (GACM) 5-7, 6-3, 6-1
2. Mya Smith-Dennis (GACM) def. Chris Schommer (WHIT) 6-1, 6-4
3. Matthew Herron (WHIT) def. Juan Luis Chu (GACM) 7-6, 6-4
4. Tyler Johnson (GACM) def. Andrew Hansen (WHIT) 7-6, 6-7, 7-5
5. Joey MacGibbon (GACM) def. Shogo Shimizu (WHIT) 6-1, 2-6, 6-2
6. Bradley Entwistle (GACM) def. David De Leon (WHIT) 6-2, 6-1
Doubles Competition
1. Amrik Donkena/Mya Smith-Dennis (GACM) def. Julian Seneviratne/Patricio Carregha (WHIT) 8-6
2. Chris Schommer/Andrew Hansen (WHIT) def. Daniel Pomeranc/Juan Luis Chu (GACM) 9-8 (10-5)
3. Matthew Herron/Shogo Shimizu (WHIT) def. Patrick Clark/Tyler Johnson (GACM) 8-4