WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The Lycoming College men’s tennis team has advanced to the semifinals in seven of the nine flights at the 2010 Middle Atlantic Conference Men’s Tennis Individual Championships after the first day of play at the Ralston Field Complex at Kirby Park on Saturday. The Warriors are alive in five of the six singles flights and two of the three doubles flights. The tournament will resume at 9 a.m. on Sunday with the singles semifinals.
Senior Alex Beattie (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport Area) got through his opening-round match with Alvernia’s Jed Spangler, 6-2, 6-3 to reach the semifinals, where he will face Wilkes’ Evan Katz. If he wins, he will face the winner of the match between Manhattenville’s Michael Capozzi and Elizabethtown’s Josh Riehl for the second-flight title.
Sophomore Jason Mifsud (Montoursville, Pa./Montoursville) reached the semifinals in the third-flight by beating Elizabethtown’s Eric Fritzges, 7-6 (4), 6-0, in the quarterfinals. He faces Manhattenville’s Andres Rivera in the semifinals and if he wins, he will face the winner of the match between Eastern’s Jordan Gates and Wilkes’ Wes McCollum.
Sophomore David Brown (Montoursville, Pa./Montoursville) also reached the semifinals, in the fourth flight, by posting a 7-6 (4), 6-0 win over Arcadia’s Barry Boudreault. He will face Manhattenville’s Jose Gabriel Pinto in the semifinals and if he wins, the winner of the match between Wilkes’ Dakkota Deem and Elizabethtown’s Bryan Metz.
Senior Phillip Shannon (Cogan Station, Pa./Williamsport Area) reached the semifinals in the fifth bracket as he notched a 6-3, 6-2 win over Lebanon Valley’s Andrew Wilson in the first round and beat Arcadia’s Hermino Quinones, 6-1, 6-2 in the quarterfinals. He will face Manhattenville’s Karim Mahmoud in the semifinals and, if he wins, will face the winner of the match between Elizabethtown’s Dylan Haefner and Wilkes’ Clarke Freeman.
Sophomore Cody Heffner (Muncy, Pa./Penn College) rounded out the Warriors’ lineup reaching the semifinals, as he did so with a 3-6, 6-3, 10-8 superset tiebreak win over Elizabethtown’s Billy Freitag in t he sixth flight. He will face Wilkes’ Alex Makos in the semifinals and if he wins, the winner of the match between Manhattenville’s Dean Tahir and Elizabethtown’s Paul Whitman in the finals.
The No. 2 doubles pairing of David Brown and senior brother, Robert, reached the semifinals with an 8-1 win over King’s Nick Conte and Marco Stallone. The pair will face Elizabethtown’s Fritzges and Haefner in the semifinals.
The No. 3 doubles set of Shannon and Heffner posted a thrilling 9-8 (5) win over King’s Jake Rohring and PT Romano to reach the semifinals, where they will face Manhattenville’s Karim Mahmoud and Gabriel Pinto in the semifinals.
At No. 1 singles, Robert Brown fell in a tough super-set tiebreaker to Messiah’s Andrew Wismer, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 10-3.
At No. 1 doubles, the team of Beattie and Mifsud won their opening match, 8-6 against Lebanon Valley’s Ethan Grodzinski and Tom Necklemann, but fell in the quarterfinals to Elizabethtown’s Manrique Arrea and Josh Riehl, 8-5.
