WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- With senior Geoff Mayes putting the finishing touches on an undefeated season against conference opponents, the Whitman College men's tennis team slipped past Pacific Lutheran University 4-3 to claim a Northwest Conference title Saturday at the University of Puget Sound's Pamphlin Tennis Center.
For the second time in a week, Mayes knocked off PLU's highly-ranked Clayton Harris in the No. 1 singles match. Mayes, who did not lose a set all season in NWC play, also beat Harris when the two schools met in their final match of the regular season.
In Saturday's showdown, Whitman also got straight-set victories in singles from sophomore Tim Mullin in the No. 2 spot and sophomore Rick Smith at No. 6.
With the two teams splitting the six singles matches, the outcome was left to doubles. Whitman picked up the one team available in doubles by winning two of those three matches. Mullin and senior Eric Bartee were 8-5 winners in No. 1 doubles, and Mayes stayed unbeaten in conference doubles action by teaming with sophomore Owen Bargreen for an 8-4 victory in No. 2 doubles.The Missionaries came close to sweeping the doubles matches, but Smith and Nick Dupuis lost a close 8-6 decision in the No. 3 match.
The victory was a sweet one for a Missionary team that had lost a pair of 4-3 decisions to Pacific Lutheran during the regular season. Whitman's triumph also snapped a long string of PLU victories in the conference tournament. "PLU had won every conference championship since I was a senior at Whitman back in 1988," Missionary coach Jeff Northam said. "To come into this last weekend and beat PLU was a great accomplishment by our players. It's a very special treat to win the title this year."
Both Mayes and Mullin earned spots on the All-Northwest Conference First Team, while Bartee was named to the second team. Northam received Coach of the Year honors.
Adding more significanse to Whitman's conference title was the fact that six of its top eight players from a year ago had graduated, Northam noted. "This was basically a whole new team," Northam said. "The players improved so much over the course of the year."
Mayes, who returned to competitive tennis this season after a two-year layoff, ended his season playing as well as anyone in the nation at the NCAA Div. III level, Northam said. Mayes' victory over Harris on Saturday came one day after Harris had beaten Willamette's Eduardo Kohlberg, the top-ranked singles player in the West Region.
Splitting time this season with Mullin in Whitman's top singles spot, Mayes finished his year with an 11-0 singles record against conference opponents. The fact that Mayes didn't lose a set all season in conference matches may have been a first, Northam said. "I don't know if that's ever happened before."
Mayes compiled a 10-0 conference record in doubles play. He was 8-0 in No. 2 doubles, winning six of those matches with Bargreen. Mayes also teamed with Bartee and Dupuis to win twice in the No. 1 doubles spot.
Mullins also pieced together a superlative season. He finished with an 11-2 conference record in singles, losing only to Kohlberg and Clayton, and an 11-1 conference mark in No. 1 doubles. He teamed with Bartee to win all but one of those doubles matches.
There is some chance that Mullins and Bartee, as a doubles team, will receive a berth to the NCAA Div. III regional tournament, Northam said. The region's four top-ranked teams advance, and Mullins and Bartee were listed at No. 5 when the most recent rankings were released April 12. Since then, however, Mullins and Bartee have two straight victories over PLU's top team, Harris and Peter Luneo, which was ranked No. 4 in the latest poll.
Mullins and Bartee also plan to compete April 27-30 in the prestigious and highly competitive Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament in Ojai, Calif. Now in its 100th year, it is the oldest amateur tennis tournament in the nation.
There also is a slim chance Whitman's entire team could receive a berth in the NCAA playoffs, Northam said. The six top-ranked teams in the region advance, and Whitman was ranked No. 7 in the most recent poll. PLu, ranked No. 5 in that poll, will probably get the post-season invitation based on its two regular season wins over the Missionaries.
Other Whitman players ended the season with strong records in conference play. Smith, who got a critical win in singles to help the Missionaries whip PLU in the conference title match, finished with a 10-2 singles record. Bargreen, who played at least one match at all levels except No. 1, ended his spring with a 9-3 record. Dupuis was 9-4 in the third through fifth spots, and Bartee was 8-4 in spots two through four.
In addition to his 11 victories in doubles with Mullin, Bartee won twice more with other partners to run his overall doubles record to 13-1 in conference action. Counting the matches he played with Mayes, Bargreen compiled a 10-1 doubles record in conference.
Playing with six different partners, Dupuis amassed an 11-4 record in conference doubles. His primary partner, Smith, finished with an 8-3 doubles record against NWC foes.
CONTACT:
Dave Holden, Whitman Sports Information, (509) 527-5902