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Messiah Claims Third Straight MAC Commonwealth Championship
Posted: 4/20/2008
Box Score | More Men's Tennis news
Senior Jonathan Siemen was named tournament MVP Sunday, capping a 4-0 year in league singles play.

Landisville, PA — For the third straight season, the Messiah College men’s tennis team has claimed the MAC Commonwealth Championship.

Messiah cruised past Lebanon Valley College by a 5-0 score Sunday afternoon to successfully complete the three-peat, earning first-year head coach Frank Petre ownership in what has become a recent legacy: The Falcons finished the regular-season undefeated in league play for the third consecutive year, while a 3-0 sweep of doubles play made Sunday’s event quick in nature. With conference rules citing the first team to reach five points as winners in post-season play, Messiah (8-7-1, 4-0) needed just a pair of wins in singles action for the title, a feat recorded in straight sets.

“It was our most emotional and energetic start to any of our matches this year, as we were truly on a mission to set the tone,” Petre said. “Our pre-match discussion of ‘carpe diem’ served to ignite the competitive fires of our team. The guys simply would not be denied in their quest for a ‘three-peat.’”

Serving as the official tournament hosts at the Hempfield Sports Complex, Messiah learned it would face LVC following the Flying Dutchmen’s 5-4 win over Elizabethtown College Saturday afternoon. After knocking off LVC on its home courts by an 8-1 score on Apr. 1, the Falcons made certain Sunday’s championship match would be even quicker in nature, as all three doubles teams made easy work of their counterparts. Seniors Nate Ipsen and Jonathan Siemen began with an 8-1 win over LVC’s Matt Grodzinski and Tom Neckelmann at the top slot, while the Falcons’ two and three doubles teams recorded 8-3 decisions.

Freshman Jansen Hein captured a 6-1, 6-0 win over LVC’s Brad Sweigert in the number four singles flight to begin the day’s second round, while Siemen knocked off the Flying Dutchmen’s Neckelmann in a 6-2, 6-1 decision at the number two singles flight to end things.

Siemen’s play — and his 5-0 MAC Commonwealth record at the number two singles position this season — earned him tournament MVP honors, his first such award.

“The uniqueness of this match is that every player played his most inspired and team-oriented effort of the entire year,” Petre said. “The guys would not be denied in their quest for a ‘three peat.’ I am very happy and proud of our team for their efforts. Our seniors this year and the players who have graduated in the last two years have done a super job in raising the men’s team to the pinnacle of the Commonwealth Conference.”

Messiah will now wait to learn of its seeding in the NCAA Division III Men’s Tennis Tournament to take place May 2-4. The team has one final regular-season match to serve as a final tune-up, traveling to Dickinson College Wednesday. Match time is set for 3:30 p.m.