MT Shows Improvement at ASC Individual Championships

The Schreiner men's tennis team held its own against a tough field of opposition at the ASC Individual Tournament in Abilene, TX.   The hard work on and off the tennis court showed up in the results of the players' individual performances.  Coach Gary Nadebaum was pleased with the improvement of the teams performance from last year to now.

Here's a quick recap of the action at the tournament:

Men’s Doubles:  The team of freshman Michael Streeter and sophomore Trey Hernandez had a tough match against Mississippi College in Flight 1.  Despite playing very well, they dropped the match, 8-5.  In Flight 2 doubles, freshman Derrick McClintock and junior Tory Manchester had a tough match controlling their nerves and lost, 8-1.  In Flight 3 doubles juniors Danny Okland and Jesse McKinney lost 8-1.  Also in Flight 4 doubles, freshmen Parker Wells and Matt Salazar lost 8-2 as did senior Stephen Franklin and freshman Doug Heiser, both to tough UT-Tyler teams.

Men’s Singles:  The guys performed very well in their single matches.  Trey Hernandez, Derrick McClintock, and Tory Manchester both won their first round matches.  Hernandez dropped his next match in a tough two-set loss to a player from Howard Payne.  McClintock lost as well in the second round to another HPU player.  Manchester defeated a UT-Dallas player to make it to the semifinals in his flight.  He lost to an all-conference player from McMurry in a grind out match. 

Michael Streeter, Danny Okland, and Parker Wells both dropped their opening matches but all three rebounded in their next rounds to make it to the finals of the consolation rounds for each.  Streeter had a tough opponent with Hardon-Simmons #1 who was all-conference player last year.  Streeter fought hard but lost 2-6, 3-6.  Okland met a player from UTD and lost in a hard fought two-setter 2-6, 5-7.  Wells played a thrilling three-set match against a Mississippi College player and pulled away winning 3-6, 6-4, 10-7 (tie break).

Stephen Franklin, Jesse McKinney, Doug Heiser, and Matt Salazar represented SU very well in the lower brackets.  Franklin won his first match but met a UTT player in the next round and lost 1-6, 0-6.  Heiser, McKinney, and Salazar each lost their first and second round matches but never gave up.

            Compared to last year the SU men's tennis team proved in the first week that they are much improved and will have a chance to much more success in the spring.  There is already a huge improvement from last year and the results prove that.  The team had a lot of fun in the tournament and look forward to performing well again as they head up to Dallas for the last tournament of the fall season.