By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University men's tennis finished out its regular season with a 7-0 Senior Day sweep over Nebraska-Kearney on Friday morning at Genesis Tennis Center, with the Ichabods capturing the MIAA/GAC North Division regular-season title.
Washburn will be the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament next week.
Washburn's men's tennis team wrapped up a regular-season conference title with Friday's 7-0 sweep over Nebraska-Kearney. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The North Division championship is the first in the regular season for the Ichabods since the 2020-21 season, the first full season since the league split into divisions.
Doubles play began on the top court with No. 22 Tim Hammes and Matthew Earle securing a 6-4 win over No. 11-ranked Aaron Osmond and Tom van den Dungen to give Washburn (17-4 overal, 5-0 MIAA/GAC) an edge over the Lopers (13-10, 3-2).
Santiago Rendon and Pavlos Parsons followed closely behind with a 6-3 win at No. 3 to take the first point of the match.
No. 39 Sebastian Pjontek and Daniel Bird led 4-2 at No. 2 when the point was decided.
No. 69 Parson began singles play with a two-set win at No. 3 by scores of 6-3 and 6-2. After cruising to a 6-1 first set win on the first court No. 10 Hammes won 6-4 in the second to set up match point.
Tommy Cecchetti clinched the match with a swift 6-2 win in the first set and a 6-4 victory in the second set at No. 5.
Washburn continued to add to its total in the second half of singles play.
No. 26 Pjontek won his opening set 6-3 at No. 2 and went to a third set after falling 6-4 in the second. In the deciding third set he came back from an early deficit to win 7-5.
No. 43 Rendon took a 6-2 opening set win at No. 4 and worked a 6-4 victory in the second set to add another point.
Bird closed out the match at No. 6 with a pair of 6-2 set victories to secure the fourth sweep of the season for the Ichabods.
WASHBURN 7, NEBRASKA-KEARNEY 0
Doubles competition
- Earle, Matthew/Hammes, Tim (WU) def. Osmond, Aaron/Dungen, Tom van den (UNK) 6-4
- Bird, Daniel/Pjontek, Sebastian (WU) vs. Mens, Jip, Abdelaziz, Ahmed (UNK) 4-2 UF
- Rendon, Santiago/Parson, Pavlos (WU) def. Brisdon, Andy/Strzelecki, Jakub (UNK) 6-3
Order of finish: 1, 3
Singles competition
- Hammes, Tim (WU) def. Mens, Jip (UNK) 6-1, 6-4
- Pjontek, Sebastian (WU) def. Osmond, Aaron (UNK) 6-3, 4-6, 7-5
- Parson, Pavlos (WU) def. Dungen, Tom van den (UNK) 6-3, 6-2
- Rendon, Santiago (WU) def. Abdelaziz, Ahmed (UNK) 6-2, 6-4
- Cecchetti, Tommy (WU) def. Brisdon, Andy (UNK) 6-2, 6-4
- Bird, Daniel (WU) def. Jaulin, Alex (UNK) 6-2, 6-2
Order of finish: 3, 1, 5, 2, 4, 6
