The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Iowa men’s tennis ends has solid end to fall season

FILE+-+Iowa%E2%80%99s+Jonas+Larsen+returns+a+ball+during+the+Iowa-North+Dakota+match+at+the+Hawkeye+Tennis+%26+Recreation+Complex+on+April+23.+Larsen+is+one+of+the+five+returning+Hawkeyes+heading+into+the+2017-18+season%3B+the+team+needs+six+to+compete.+%28File+photo%2FThe+Daily+Iowan%29
FILE – Iowa’s Jonas Larsen returns a ball during the Iowa-North Dakota match at the Hawkeye Tennis & Recreation Complex on April 23. Larsen is one of the five returning Hawkeyes heading into the 2017-18 season; the team needs six to compete. (File photo/The Daily Iowan)

The men’s tennis team finished its fall individual season at the Big Ten Singles tournament. The event in East Lansing capped a rocky fall season for the Hawkeyes but showed a strong team after numerous wins.

The Hawkeyes advanced five athletes to the singles round of 16 on Sunday, was the most of any of the Big Ten teams.

Junior Jonas Larsen fell to Antonioni Fasano of Northwestern (6-3, 3-6, 6-3). Matt Mendez of Oklahoma State topped sophomore Kareem Allaf (2-6, 6-0, 6-3). Freshman Piotr Smietana lost to Bennett Crane of Indiana (6-1, 6-1). Will Davies was beaten by Oklahoma State’s Alex Kobelt (6-2, 6-4). And Joe Tyler fell to Oklahoma State’s Joey Thomas.

The team won 11 matches on Oct. 28, giving the Hawkeyes much to cheer about.

“We had a very consistent effort from our guys today,” head coach Ross Wilson said in a release. “This is definitely the best tournament collectively as a group we have had all fall.”

On Oct. 27, the doubles team of Davies and Smietana won three doubles matches to secure a runner-up finish in the Big Ten’s doubles tournament, falling to Michigan’s team of Harrison Brown and Davis Crocker (8-4). Allaf and Tyler made it to the quarterfinals and fell to Brown and Crocker as well.

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About the Contributor
James Geerdes, Design Editor
Email: [email protected] James is a junior studying business analytics and journalism. He is currently the design editor and is interested in interactive graphics and UX design. Since joining his freshman year, he has been a sports reporter, designer, and digital producer for The Daily Iowan.