April 29, 2006

CEDAR RAPIDS , IOWA . . . The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) crowned champions in five individual flights (three singles and two doubles) on Saturday at the Conference men’s tennis Individual Flighted Tournament. The Conference also announced the 2006 IIAC men’s tennis All-Conference Team. The Most Valuable Player and Coach of the Year will be announced next week.

In Flight A singles, the #2-seed Christian Klein of Luther defeated the #1-seed Ryan Yao of Coe (4-6, 7-5, 10-6) in the Championship match. Klein’s victory over defending Champion Yao ends a streak of seven straight years in which a Coe player won the Flight A singles title. Central’s Nick Cochrane defeated Coe’s Chris Paasch (0-6, 6-0, 10-7) in the third-place match. In the semifinals, Klein defeated#4-seed Paasch (6-3, 6-1) and Yao defeated #3-seed Cochrane (6-3, 3-6, 10-5) in a rematch of the 2005 Flight A Championship match.

In Flight B singles, Luther’s Nate Jung defeated Central’s Ryan Ooms (6-1, 6-1) in the Championship match. Luther’s Travis Strickler defeated Wartburg’s Nick Petaros (6-0, retired) in the third-place match. In the semifinals, Jung defeated Petaros (6-4, 7-5) and Ooms defeated Strickler (0-6, 6-3, 10-5).

In Flight C singles, Central’s Lance Allgood defeated Wartburg’s John Barnes (6-2, 7-5) in the Championship match. Wartburg’s Andrew Seeba defeated Central’s Joel Druvenga (6-2, 7-5) in the third-place match. In the semifinals, Allgood defeated Seeba (6-2, 6-3) and Barnes defeated Druvenga (6-0, 6-1).

In Flight A doubles, unseeded Ryan Yao/Jake Michael of Coe upset #4-seed and defending A doubles Champion Jono Martin/Brad Nelson of Luther (8-2) in the Championship match. Luther’s Christian Klein/Reid Mason defeated Coe’s Chris Paasch/Sam Zerbib (9-8(6)) in the third-place match. In the semifinals, Michael/Yao defeated Klein/Mason (8-1) and Martin/Nelson upset the top-seeded Paasch/Zerbib (9-8(6)).

In Flight B doubles, Coe’s Benji Gault/Aaron Neiderhiser defeated Luther’s Nate Jung/Travis Strickler (8-2) in the Championship match. Wartburg’s Nick Petaros/Nick Wuertz defeated Dubuque’s Brett Bousman/Tiberus Mocanu (8-6) in the third-place match. In the semifinals, Gault/Neiderhiser defeated Bousman/Mocanu (8-0) and Jung/Strickler defeated Petaros/Wuertz (8-5).

Complete results from the two-day Individual Flighted Tournament are here.

All-Conference Team: The quarterfinalists in Flight A singles and the semifinalists in Flight A doubles are recognized as All-Conference. The 2006 Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men’s tennis All-Conference Team is here.

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