Air Force Academy
ITA Mountain Regionals
Falcons Complete Day One at Regional Tourney
10/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Oct. 21, 2009
The Air Force men's tennis team opened play at the ITA Mountain Region Tournament Wednesday in Las Vegas, Nev. Two Falcons won in the first round of singles, while all three doubles teams were victorious in their first-round matches.
AFA's two freshmen, Lance Wilhelm and Stephen Katrein were the only two Falcons to win in the first round of singles. Wilhelm defeated Michael Gilliland of Boise State, 6-2, 6-3, while Katrein rallied to beat Nevada-Reno's Kyle Walker, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. However, both players were defeated in the second round, Katrein by the No. 9-seed, Corey Smith of Montana State, 6-1, 6-0, while Wilhelm fell to 11th-seeded Cassidy Mears of BYU, 7-5, 6-2.
Sophomore Cody Hall dropped his first-round match, 6-3, 6-2, to Idaho's Stanislav Glukhov, but won his first-round consolation match, 7-5, 6-3, over Cole Paterson of Weber State. Seniors Austin Francis and Brett Rodgers and junior Taylor Soster each lost in the first round and will play his first consolation match on Thursday. Francis lost a tough, 7-6, 2-6, 6-3, decision to Nate Ballam of Utah State, while Rodgers and Soster fell in straight sets.
In doubles play, all three teams won in the first round and will face seeded teams on Thursday. Hall and Wilhelm cruised past Armando Morales and Matej Stakne of New Mexico State, 8-2, and will face the No. 2-seeded team consisting of Mears and Thomas Shubert of BYU.
For updates throughout the tournament, click here.
