BIG RAPIDS – Ferris State University men’s tennis team drove its winning streak to seven consecutive games, sharpening up for a big upcoming Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference roadblock by defeating Wisconsin-Eau Claire 7-0 in non-league action Sunday at FSU rackets and gym.
The Bulldogs, ranked 19th nationally in the most recent Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) D2 National Rankings, climbed to 14-2 overall this year and remained perfect at home by moving to 8-0 in Big Rapids with the win.
“Even though I set this match up to get some outdoor tennis to lead into upcoming matches that are likely to be played outdoors, we still ended up with a solid indoor match,” said FSU head coach Mark Doren. “Eau Claire has a great team and it was a great day for us to keep the rhythm of playing every weekend.”
The Bulldogs opened the game by taking the three double flights for the first point of the day, capturing both the first and second flights with identical 7-5 margins to go with a 6-4 decision after three doubles.
All six singles also went to FSU and were settled in straight sets with Mathis Guerre, Jan Koupil, Yannic Alexander Mader, Benjamin Lortie, Alessandro Santangelo and Josh McDermott all winning. Five of the six were double winners on the day, with senior Ayush Deswal replacing Mader in the doubles row to also win.
In the coming week, the Bulldogs visit longtime tennis rival Northwood on Friday for a game at 6 p.m. 1pm at Midland Tennis Center. FSU will then face 11th-ranked Wayne State in a showdown between top 20 teams Saturday (April 16) in Detroit.
Currently, FSU enters the week at the top of the conference standings at 5-0 in league play with Wayne State at 4-0 followed by Grand Valley State (4-1) and Northwood (3-1) in the top half of the league list.
Ferris golf
The Ferris State University men’s golf team moved up two places in the final round and came away with a third place finish at the Bill Blazer Memorial, hosted by Ohio Dominican University, as the game ended Sunday at the Urbana Country Club in Urbana, Ohio.
The Bulldogs finished the 36-hole event with a team of 590, finishing just nine strokes from first place at +14 for the two action rounds. FSU shot a score of 301 in Saturday’s opening round before firing a pair of 289s in the final 18 holes to end the event.
Overall, Southern Indiana captured the team title with a score of 581 followed by Grand Valley State at 584 and FSU at 590 in the top three among the 16 teams in the tournament held on the par 72 Urbana Country Club course that came in at 6,849 yards.
FSU’s Nathan Kraynyk achieved honors in all tournaments as he finished in third place overall individually with a score of 142. He shot a four-over 76 in round one before scoring an impressive six-under 66 score in the final round for today’s low score. Overall, he finished two-under for the tournament.
Meanwhile, Thomas Hursey drew 11th in the field with 148 overall, which was four-over for the 36 holes. He shot a first-round 75 followed by an one-over par 73 on Sunday.
The Bulldogs’ Zach Koerner came in as number 24 on 151 for the two rounds, shooting a 76 in the final round after a three-over par 75 in round one.
FSU’s Shayne Beaufait finished with a total of 152, which is good for a share of the overall 26th place. Beaufait fired 75 in the first round and 77 in the final 18 holes.
In the end, Joshua Jeffords finished with a two-over par 74 in Sunday’s action and placed tied for 31st at 153 for the two rounds. He had mapped a 79 in the first round.
The Bulldogs are next scheduled to participate in the 2022 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Championships, held from Friday through Sunday, 15-17. April in Augusta, Mich.
FSU is a two-time defending league champion as the Bulldogs secured the title each of the last two times the event has been held in 2019 and 2021.