The Lake Forest College men's tennis team placed third at the Midwest Conference Championships in Madison, Wisconsin. A league title at #2 doubles on Sunday was the third career championship for junior John Adams and the second of the weekend for senior Elliot Muth.
Adams and Muth defeated their counterparts from Ripon College 6-2, 6-1 in the quarterfinals and those from St. Norbert College 7-5, 6-3 in the semifinals. They began the championship match by edging out Monmouth College's #2 tandem 7-6 (7-4) in the first set before falling by the same score in the second. A 6-4 triumph in the third and deciding set gave the duo the title and an 11-4 record together on the season. They are 23-12 over the last two years and moved into second place in program history in career victories by a doubles team.
Muth had also claimed the title at #3 singles on Saturday, making him the first Forester since 1999 to capture a conference championship in both singles and doubles in the same season. Adams was the runner-up at #2 singles on Saturday after winning at the same position last year. He claimed the title at #3 singles as a freshman. He posted a 30-11 record in singles and doubles combined in 2012 and, after just three seasons, already ranks fourth in team history with 103 overall victories and 56 singles wins in his career. His 47 wins in doubles over the last three years ranks fifth.
Lake Forest's #1 doubles team, consisting of sophomores Ryan Kreis and Anthony Warren, recorded a dramatic victory over the league's top seed from Monmouth in the quarterfinals. After losing eight of the match's first nine games, they came back to win 1-6, 7-5, 6-2. Their semifinal match against Grinnell's best duo also went to a third set with the Pioneers pulling out a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory. Grinnell went on to claim the title in straight sets.
Kreis had been attempting to become the first player from Lake Forest to claim conference titles at the top spot in both the singles and doubles lineup in 34 years.
Sophomore Kevin Lasky and senior Tommy White were defeated 6-1, 6-2 in the quarterfinals at #3 doubles but rebounded to defeat Illinois College 8-1 in the consolation semifinals. They fell 8-0 in the consolation final.
The top two places in the conference standings were determined by Friday's team tournament, where Grinnell defeated Monmouth to claim the team title. Grinnell finished the positional singles and doubles tournaments with 66 points while Monmouth tallied 72. Lake Forest was next with 64 and Carroll Carroll University was fourth with 51. Lawrence University, St. Norbert, Knox College, Ripon and Illinois College rounded out the standings.
The Foresters will lose Muth, White, and fellow senior Nick Cantor to graduation in two weeks.
