Rock Hill, S.C.----The Wingate University men’s tennis team claimed its first Food Lion South Atlantic Conference tournament championship Saturday, taking a 5-1 victory over Lincoln Memorial University at the Rock Hill Tennis Center. Bulldog senior Matt Lichtenstein (Darnestown, Md.) won the clincher with his 6-1, 6-0 victory over LMU sophomore Marcelo Alvim (Sao Paulo, Brazil) at the number three singles flight. 
 
With the victory, Wingate improves to 18-6 overall. The Bulldogs earn an automatic qualification to the NCAA Division II play-offs in May. Lincoln Memorial falls to 18-4 overall. The Railsplitters will wait for word about a potential at-large berth to the NCAA dance.

“This is a great feeling…especially for our three seniors,” Wingate head coach Michael Cabana says. “We’ve been close so many times. Our team has worked very hard to win (this tournament)."

Wingate freshman Neal Towlson (Warwick, Bermuda) pushed the Bulldog margin to 3-1 with his 6-1, 6-2 court five triumph over LMU senior Tom Goossens (Moerbeke-Waas, Belgium). An All-SAC doubles performer, Towlson is 11-0 against SAC singles opponents during his inaugural campaign.
 
Tournament Most Valuable Player and Bulldog senior Drew Owen (Kitchener, Ontario) claimed Wingate’s fourth point with his 6-1, 6-1 court two victory over LMU freshman Will Sparks (Knoxville, Tenn.). Owen won both of his Food Lion SAC tournament singles matches this year. He also recorded a doubles decision in the Bulldogs’ 5-0 semi-final win over Tusculum.

In doubles, Towlson and senior Flavio Rathsam (Sao Paulo, Brazil) gave Wingate a 2-1 lead with a 9-7 victory over Goossens and junior Philipp Hoffmann (Karlsruhe, Germany) at the number one flight. LMU struck first, as Sparks and Alvim gave the ‘Splitters an early 1-0 edge with an 8-6 court two victory over Owen and Lichtenstein.
 
Wingate sophomore Ryan Forbes (Charlotte, N.C.) and freshman Diego Martinez (Queretaro, Mexico) tied the match 1-1 with an 8-5 triumph over LMU sophomores Alexey Minevskiy (Taganrog, Russia) and Michael Koenen (Auckland, New Zealand) at the number three doubles position. The Bulldog duo swept two 2012 matches from the LMU pair, as Martinez and Forbes claimed an 8-1 decision during the two teams March 17 regular season contest.
 
In unfinished matches, Rathsam led Hoffmann 6-2, 3-4 in the number one singles match. Martinez held a 6-2, 4-1 advantage over Minevskiy at the number four singles flight, while Koenen led Forbes 6-2, 3-2 on court number six.
 
Wingate head coach Michael Cabana earns his second Food Lion SAC men’s tennis tournament championship Saturday. As an All-SAC student-athlete at Catawba, Cabana led the Indians to the 2001 tournament title. Cabana was the 2011 SAC Coach of the Year for both men’s and women’s tennis after sweeping the two awards in 2010.

Men’s Tennis Match Results

Lincoln Memorial vs Wingate

Apr 21, 2012 at Rock Hill, S.C.

(Rock Hill Tennis Center)

 

Wingate 5, Lincoln Memorial 1

 

Singles competition

1. Flavio Rathsam (WU) vs. Philipp Hoffmann (LMU) 6-2, 3-4, unf.

2. Drew Owen (WU) def. Will Sparks (LMU) 6-1, 6-1

3. Matt Lichtenstein (WU) def. Marcelo Alvim (LMU) 6-1, 6-0

4. Diego Martinez (WU) vs. Alexey Minevskiy (LMU) 6-2, 4-1, unf.

5. Neal Towlson (WU) def. Tom Goossens (LMU) 6-1, 6-2

6. Ryan Forbes (WU) vs. Michael Koenen (LMU) 2-6, 2-3, unf.

 

Doubles competition

1. Rathsam/Towlson (WU) def. Hoffmann/Goossens (LMU) 9-7

2. Sparks/Alvim (LMU) def. Owen/Lichtenstein (WU) 8-6

3. Martinez/Forbes (WU) def. Minevskiy/Koenen (LMU) 8-5

 

Match Notes:

Lincoln Memorial 18-4 overall

Wingate 18-6 overall

Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (5,2,3)

Wingate earns AQ to the NCAA Division II men's tennis play-offs

T-2:20 

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