Sunday, April 21
Bozeman, MT
9:00 am
Montana State University
vs
IDAHO STATE
MSU's 2013 Big Sky regular season co-champion men's tennis squad
Photo by: MSU Sports Information
CATS WIN THE PENNANT! MSU Grabs Share of Big Sky Regular Season Title
4/21/2013 9:50:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Montana State tops Idaho State for first tennis title since 2006
Flags fly forever, and the Montana State men's tennis team added another one to its collection on Sunday.
The Bobcats topped Idaho State 4-1 in the Bobcat-Anderson Tennis Center Sunday, beneath the pennants marking the program's previous four Big Sky championships. This year's regular season title came at the expense of a Bengal squad that hadn't lost before Saturday, and MSU shares the crown with Sacramento State.
MSU's first-year coach Jared Burnham didn't see this one coming. “No,” he said with a laugh. “My goal was to make the tournament, finish in the top six. To grab a piece of the Big Sky championship in the regular season, that's great.” MSU's previous Big Sky titles came in 2000, '04, '05 and '06.
The Bobcats jumped out to a fast start, winning the doubles point when Kenny Dodd and Harry James earned a 9-8 heart-stopping win over Andres Coello and Krzysztof Stempien. Niklas Brandes and Diego Campos also grabbed a close 8-6 win.
“The doubles point was important,” Burnham said, as it set the tone for the singles showdown. Brandes, a sophomore, stormed out of the gates to put the Bobcats up 2-0 with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Christian Marian, Diego Campos pushed the Bobcats to the brink of a title with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Nate Gross.
“Nik was a man,” Burhnam said of Brandes, his staple at No. 1 singles throughout the season. “There were so many balls I thought he had no chance at that he got to. He really played well.”
While Charles Norman of ISU was fashioning a 6-0, 7-6 win over Javier Martin-Morillas, the day's most intense singles match unfolded on the court immediately below the tangible reminders of MSU's tennis glories past. Markus Schleuter earned a 6-4, 6-4 win over Idaho State's Stempien to clinch the match.
Schleuter knew what was at stake, and said he was fighting nerves as well as his orange-clad opponent. “A little tight,” he said, beaming. “He returned (serves) well, and I had to put him under pressure.”
Schleuter fought through some first-serve issues to earn the win, a characteristic Burnham said he saw throughout the day. “They were a little nervy,” he said, “especially at the beginning. Getting the doubles point did us a lot of good because it let them relax a little.”
Reflecting on the improbable regular season co-championship – MSU missed the conference tournament last season, and was predicted to finish in a sixth-place tie prior to the 2013 campaign – Burnham found a turning point in the team's 4-3 at Eastern Washington on March 2. “When we beat Eastern at their place, I thought to myself, 'These guys can play,'” Burnham said.
But he was quick to point out that his team needed, and received, help. “The light at the end of the tunnel came when Idaho State beat Sacramento State. At that point I thought that if we could win our last four matches we could win the Big Sky regular season.”
The real work for the Bobcats begins next Friday, when the Bobcats begin play in the Big Sky Championship Tournament at Sacramento State. The Hornets and Bobcats each finish with a 9-1 regular season record, with Sac State earning the top seed by virtue of its decisive 7-0 home win over the Cats on March 12. MSU and the Hornets each receiver a first round bye in the six-team event.
Men's Tennis: Montana State 4, Idaho State 1
April 21, 2013 – Bobcat-Anderson Tennis Center – Bozeman, MT
SINGLES
1. BRANDES, Niklas (MSU) def. MARIAN, Christian (ISU) 6-0, 6-3
2. NORMAN, Charles (ISU) def. MARTIN-MORILLAS, J. (MSU) 6-0, 7-6
3. SCHLEUTER, Markus (MSU) def. STEMPIEN, Krzysztof (ISU) 6-4, 6-4
4. CAMPOS, Diego (MSU) def. GROSS, Nate (ISU) 6-3, 6-2
5. SWIGGART, Jamey (ISU) vs. SIVASUBRAMANIAM, P. (MSU) no result
6. MILLER, Austin (ISU) vs. JAMES, Harry (MSU) no result
DOUBLES
1. BRANDES, Niklas/CAMPOS, Diego (MSU) def. GROSS, Nate/NORMAN, Charles (ISU) 8-6
2. SWIGGART, Jamey/MILLER, Austin (ISU) def. SCHLEUTER, Markus/MARTIN-MORILLAS, J. (MSU) 8-5
3. DODD, Kenny/JAMES, Harry (MSU) def. COELLO, Andres/STEMPIEN, Krzysztof (ISU) 9-8
Montana State clinches share of Big Sky regular season championship
Records: Montana State 13-7, 9-1 Big Sky; Idaho State 13-5/8-2 Big Sky
Order of finish -- Doubles: 2-1-3, Singles -- 1-4-2-3 (5-6 DNF)
The Bobcats topped Idaho State 4-1 in the Bobcat-Anderson Tennis Center Sunday, beneath the pennants marking the program's previous four Big Sky championships. This year's regular season title came at the expense of a Bengal squad that hadn't lost before Saturday, and MSU shares the crown with Sacramento State.
MSU's first-year coach Jared Burnham didn't see this one coming. “No,” he said with a laugh. “My goal was to make the tournament, finish in the top six. To grab a piece of the Big Sky championship in the regular season, that's great.” MSU's previous Big Sky titles came in 2000, '04, '05 and '06.
The Bobcats jumped out to a fast start, winning the doubles point when Kenny Dodd and Harry James earned a 9-8 heart-stopping win over Andres Coello and Krzysztof Stempien. Niklas Brandes and Diego Campos also grabbed a close 8-6 win.
“The doubles point was important,” Burnham said, as it set the tone for the singles showdown. Brandes, a sophomore, stormed out of the gates to put the Bobcats up 2-0 with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Christian Marian, Diego Campos pushed the Bobcats to the brink of a title with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Nate Gross.
“Nik was a man,” Burhnam said of Brandes, his staple at No. 1 singles throughout the season. “There were so many balls I thought he had no chance at that he got to. He really played well.”
While Charles Norman of ISU was fashioning a 6-0, 7-6 win over Javier Martin-Morillas, the day's most intense singles match unfolded on the court immediately below the tangible reminders of MSU's tennis glories past. Markus Schleuter earned a 6-4, 6-4 win over Idaho State's Stempien to clinch the match.
Schleuter knew what was at stake, and said he was fighting nerves as well as his orange-clad opponent. “A little tight,” he said, beaming. “He returned (serves) well, and I had to put him under pressure.”
Schleuter fought through some first-serve issues to earn the win, a characteristic Burnham said he saw throughout the day. “They were a little nervy,” he said, “especially at the beginning. Getting the doubles point did us a lot of good because it let them relax a little.”
Reflecting on the improbable regular season co-championship – MSU missed the conference tournament last season, and was predicted to finish in a sixth-place tie prior to the 2013 campaign – Burnham found a turning point in the team's 4-3 at Eastern Washington on March 2. “When we beat Eastern at their place, I thought to myself, 'These guys can play,'” Burnham said.
But he was quick to point out that his team needed, and received, help. “The light at the end of the tunnel came when Idaho State beat Sacramento State. At that point I thought that if we could win our last four matches we could win the Big Sky regular season.”
The real work for the Bobcats begins next Friday, when the Bobcats begin play in the Big Sky Championship Tournament at Sacramento State. The Hornets and Bobcats each finish with a 9-1 regular season record, with Sac State earning the top seed by virtue of its decisive 7-0 home win over the Cats on March 12. MSU and the Hornets each receiver a first round bye in the six-team event.
Men's Tennis: Montana State 4, Idaho State 1
April 21, 2013 – Bobcat-Anderson Tennis Center – Bozeman, MT
SINGLES
1. BRANDES, Niklas (MSU) def. MARIAN, Christian (ISU) 6-0, 6-3
2. NORMAN, Charles (ISU) def. MARTIN-MORILLAS, J. (MSU) 6-0, 7-6
3. SCHLEUTER, Markus (MSU) def. STEMPIEN, Krzysztof (ISU) 6-4, 6-4
4. CAMPOS, Diego (MSU) def. GROSS, Nate (ISU) 6-3, 6-2
5. SWIGGART, Jamey (ISU) vs. SIVASUBRAMANIAM, P. (MSU) no result
6. MILLER, Austin (ISU) vs. JAMES, Harry (MSU) no result
DOUBLES
1. BRANDES, Niklas/CAMPOS, Diego (MSU) def. GROSS, Nate/NORMAN, Charles (ISU) 8-6
2. SWIGGART, Jamey/MILLER, Austin (ISU) def. SCHLEUTER, Markus/MARTIN-MORILLAS, J. (MSU) 8-5
3. DODD, Kenny/JAMES, Harry (MSU) def. COELLO, Andres/STEMPIEN, Krzysztof (ISU) 9-8
Montana State clinches share of Big Sky regular season championship
Records: Montana State 13-7, 9-1 Big Sky; Idaho State 13-5/8-2 Big Sky
Order of finish -- Doubles: 2-1-3, Singles -- 1-4-2-3 (5-6 DNF)
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