Western Courier

Issue date: 4/28/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Adam Sacasa Senior Martin Bostrom defeated Oral Roberts' Alex Dargel 6-2, 6-1 at No. 1 Singles.

The Western Illinois men's tennis team fell just short of locking up an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after dropping a narrow loss to Oral Roberts, 4-3, at the Dr. Rudy and Rhonda Kachmann Tennis Center.

Oral Roberts (7-9) stole the doubles point from the Leathernecks (14-6) after winning at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles. The lone doubles win came from senior Martin Boström and junior Sean Ragee-Nelson, who improved their season record to 12-0 by beating Clemons Geercken and Dennis Troyke, 9-8 (3).

Western rebounded from losing the doubles point to take a 3-2 lead. At No. 2 singles, Boström cruised to a victory over Alex Dargel, 6-2, 6-1, while Ragee-Nelson defeated Geercken in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5, at No. 5 singles. Junior Neil Lesinski split the first two sets with Cuan Farquharson, but blanked Farquharson in the last set to win the match, 2-6, 6-4, 6-0.

However, the Golden Eagles fought back and claimed the last two matches, each in three sets, to defeat the Leathernecks, 4-3, and end Western's season in the conference championship for the second straight season.

Singles

1. Alex Kotsiuk (ORU) def. Zach Frisch (WIU) 5-7, 6-3, 6-3

2. Boström (WIU) def. Dargel (ORU) 6-2, 6-1

3. Lesinski (WIU) def. Farquharson (ORU) 2-6, 6-4, 6-0

4. Troyke (ORU) def. Francisco Ortiz (WIU) 6-4, 6-0

5. Ragee-Nelson (WIU) def. Geercken (ORU) 6-3, 7-5

6. Dario Beslic (ORU) def. Andy Jones (WIU) 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-1

Doubles

1. Kotsiuk/Dargel (ORU) def. Frisch/Lesinski (WIU) 8-5

2. Boström/Ragee-Nelson (WIU) def. Geercken/Troyke (ORU) 9-8 (3)

3. Farquharson/Beslic (ORU) def. Michael Tiu/Michael Schild (WIU) 8-3

- Western Illinois University
Athletics Media Services

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