Men's Tennis wins second consecutive OAC Regular Season title outright with 9-0 victory at Mount Union

By Tim Glon

ALLIANCE — The Ohio Northern men's tennis team won the 2011 Ohio Athletic Conference Regular Season title outright with a 9-0 victory at Mount Union on Saturday.

The Polar Bears end their regular season at 14-3 overall and are a perfect 9-0 in OAC league play. The Purple Raiders fall to 8-9, 5-4.

Northern claimed the OAC Regular Season crown for the second consecutive year and the fifth time since the OAC began recognizing a regular season champion in 2003.

ONU will also the No. 1 seed at next week's OAC Tournament and will host a quarterfinal match at home against eighth-seeded Muskingum Tuesday at 3:30 pm at University Courts.

Freshman Josh Saunders posted a 6-0, 6-0 victory at No. 5 singles to lead the Polar Bears.

Sophomore Joey Frank won 6-4, 6-3 improved to 14-3 at No. 1 singles and 17-7 in singles play overall with a 6-4, 6-3 victory.

At No. 2 singles, junior Michael Kathary won 6-1, 6-1 to register his team-leading 23rd singles victory of the year.

Freshman Do Thai won 6-2, 6-0 at No. 3 singles to improve to 22-3 on the season.

At No. 4 singles, junior Nick Kowalczyk won a tight 6-4, 2-6, 10-6 tie-breaker victory and is now 16-9 on the season.

Senior Jeff Carter wrapped up the singles sweep with a 6-0, 6-2 victory at No. 6, giving him a 14-6 record this year.

Thai and Kathary finished OAC regular season play with perfect 9-0 singles records, while Saunders finished with an 8-0 singles mark in league play.

Frank and Kowalczyk improved to 14-4 on the year and a perfect 8-0 in OAC action with an 8-4 win at No. 1 doubles.

At No. 2 doubles, Thai and Kathary won 8-2 to move to 15-3 overall and 8-0 in OAC action and Carter and junior Andrew Korba won 8-1 at No. 3 doubles to improve to 17-3 on the season and 7-0 in OAC play.