Lake Forest hosted the Illinois Handball Association Joe Ardito Contenders over the weekend and, for the first time since 2015, a Forester won the event.
Sophomore Dylan Schmitt dropped the first game 15-13 in the championship match but took the second 15-10 and the tiebreaker 11-3 to capture the title. He reached the final by rolling 15-0, 15-2 in the round of 16, prevailing 15-2, 15-13 in the quarterfinals, and coming out on top 15-8, 15-6 in the semifinals.
A pair of Foresters joined Schmitt in the quarterfinal round. Senior Colin Peters posted a convincing 15-1, 15-2 victory while sophomore Zach Dybal won his first match 15-4, 15-3 before taking both games 15-8 in the round of 16.
Sophomore Cameron Lowe and junior Josh Levin also competed in the event, which was hosted by Lake Forest College in the Sports and Recreation Center on Friday and Saturday.
The Foresters will be in action again in two weeks at the Milwaukee Classic. The tournament will be played Wisconsin Athletic Club in West Allis, Wisconsin, December 2-4.