Mason, Ohio - With two days in the books at the NCAA Division III Tennis Championships final rounds, the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's tennis team's national title hopes are still alive after a win over Washington University St. Louis in the semifinals, while the CMS women's tennis team lost its semifinal match and will play for third place at nationals. Both the Stags national championship match and the Athenas third place match are on Wednesday, May 20 in Mason, Ohio. The Athenas play their third place match at 10 a.m. EDT while the Stags play in the national championship match at 3 p.m. EDT. Below are the recaps from both the men's and women's NCAA Division III semifinal matches which were held on May 19.
CMS Men's Tennis vs. Wash U (National Semifinal) One more win. That's what stands between the No. 1 ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's tennis team and an elusive national championship, after CMS defeated Washington University St. Louis 5-2 in the semifinals of the NCAA Division III Tennis Championships on May 19 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. CMS has now reached the title match in three-straight seasons. The Stags won their lone men's tennis national title 1981 when they tied for the championship.
With the win, CMS next takes on Middlebury for the Division III national title on May 20 at 3 p.m. EDT. The match can be watched live on the NCAA Live Video webpage. The win also gave CMS its 31st of the season, a Stags Tennis record besting their 30-2 mark from last season.
CMS defeated Middlebury 7-2 on March 27 in Claremont. CMS is playing in the national championship for the fifth time in program history and is going for its second title, while Middlebury is also make its first national championship appearance overall and first since 2010 when they won it all.
Tuesday's semifinal match was a rematch from earlier this season. Back in March, CMS defeated Wash U 8-1 in Claremont with the lone point CMS lost coming in No. 1 doubles, 8-4. CMS' top doubles team of seniors Warren Wood (CMC) and Joe Dorn (CMC) avenged that early-season doubles loss in a big way in the semifinals rematch. Wood and Dorn defeated Jeremy Bush and Ross Putterman 8-2 this time around.
Junior Skyler Butts (CMC) and sophomore Daniel Morkovine (CMC) followed with an 8-3 win at No. 2 doubles over Kevin Chu and Jason Haugen. Wash U then salvaged a point at No. 3 doubles to narrow CMS' lead to 2-1 heading into singles.
Sophomore Glenn Hull (CMC) made quick work of Haugen in No. 6 singles, 6-1, 6-0. Wood labored at times in No. 1 singles against John Carswell, but still won 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 to put the Stags one point away from advancing with a 4-1 lead. Wash U then came back in No. 4 singles as Tyler Kratky defeated Dorn 6-4, 6-4. Butts clinched the win for CMS with a 6-4, 6-4 win at No. 2 singles over Putterman.
Results Final Rounds Information (Live Scoring, Schedule, etc.)
CMS Women's Tennis vs. Emory (National Semifinals) In a rematch against Emory, the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's tennis team lost 5-1 in the semifinals of the NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Championships on May 19 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. The loss sends CMS to the third place match against Amherst on Wednesday, May 20 at 10 a.m. EDT. Video will not be available but live scoring will be.
Regardless of the loss, CMS has secured at least its second-best finish in program history. In 2013, CMS finished in fourth at the NCAA Championships.
Entering Tuesday's match, CMS has just one loss on the season, a 5-4 loss to Emory in Claremont back in March. Emory had CMS' number once again, in the semifinals, as they jumped out to a 2-1 lead after doubles. Emory could have led 3-0 after doubles and it took a big comeback by CMS' No. 2 doubles team of senior Sarah Kukino (CMC) and freshman Kyla Scott (HMC) to save a doubles point for CMS. Bridget Harding and Katarina Su led 5-1 before Kukino and Scott came back to take the point at No. 2 doubles, which was the last doubles match to finish.
Emory won No. 3 doubles and No. 1 doubles, 8-4. In the first match of the year between CMS and Emory, CMS led 2-1 after doubles.
Three straight-set singles victories by Emory sealed CMS' fate. Beatrice Rosen defeated sophomore Katie Kuosman (CMC) 6-3, 6-1 for a 3-1 lead and Madison Gordon followed with a 6-3, 6-0 victory over freshman Bria Smith (CMC). Harding bounced back after doubles for a 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 match-clinching victory at No. 5 singles over Scott. On the unfinished courts, CMS' Kukino led 6-3, 4-4 at No. 3 singles and freshman Lindsay Brown (CMC) held a 7-5, 4-1 lead.
Wednesday's third place match will be the first time that CMS and Amherst have faced each other this season.
Results Final Rounds Information