Men’s tennis team hopeful at beginning of season

Over the weekend of Sept. 24 and 25,  Lewis and Clark men’s tennis team played in the Men’s Fall ITA Tournament, held at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, and returned with astounding results. Proving that the sum is only as great as their parts, the members of the LC men’s tennis team made their mark and proved their strength as individuals.

In singles, Raed Attia ’19 and Gordon Barrows ’18 demonstrated their skill and prowess by making it past the 2nd round of ITAs – an impressive feat not seen by many LC players. Attia, who played at the #1 position for LC last season, beat Pacific University’s Luciano Ferrer ’20 handily with a score of 6-2, 6-4 in the second round. He then fought hard in the next round, only dropping a close match to Whitman College’s Gary Ho ’18 with a final score of 6-4, 7-5. Barrows came back with similar results, breezing by Whitman’s Jake Hoeger by a score of 6-3, 6-2. Despite well-made efforts, the skilled junior player lost to Ben Kirsh from Whitman College.

Michael Brewer ’17, however, proved his prowess and made it past the third round of ITAs to land himself a spot in the semifinals. After Brewer’s injury and subsequent surgery last season, it remained unclear as to whether or not regain the footing he had lost as a result of his extended break. However, once he stepped foot on the court, he impressed everyone with his tenacity and skill level by reaching the farthest in the ITA draw out of all the other LC players.. In fact, he went on to beat the the tournament’s #1 seed and fifth highest ranking player in the country, Whitman’s Zach Hewlin ’18, in the fourth round – making for the biggest upset of the tournament. His score with his Whitman opponent reveals the tightness and intensity of the match, with Brewer emerging victorious with a final result of 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. Instead of becoming satisfied with this heavy victory, though, Brewer continued to fight for the win. Unfortunately, despite his greatest efforts, Brewer, much like teammate Attia, fell to Kirsh in the semifinals with a score of 6-1, 6-0.

In addition, the LC freshmen, in their first ever ITA showing, made big waves in a tournament well-endowed with experienced upperclassmen. Jackson Powell ’20 and Brendan Adams ’20 both made it to the second round of ITAs. Powell, who is from Santa Barbara, CA, won his first round easily with a score of 6-2, 6-1. He then lost to Pacific’s Clark Wininger ’17 with a score of 6-3, 6-2. Adams reported similarly, beating out his Linfield College opponent, Trent Prussing ’19, 6-3, 6-2. Unfortunately afterward, he lost the next round in a harrowing battle against Pacific’s Reuben Mulhern ’17 with a score of 4-6, 6-2, 10-5. Both players made an excellent first showing and we are so excited to welcome these men to be a part of the LC team.

In doubles, twin brothers and teammates, Gordon Barrows ’18 and Brendon Barrows ’18, made impressive results as well. Placing as the highest seed from LC in both singles and doubles, the twins made it all the way to the semifinals. They won their first three matches with incredible confidence and skill set, with their respective scores of 8-2, 8-5, and 9-7. In the semifinals, though, the pair admitted defeat to George Fox University’s Spencer Watanabe ’18 and Alex Namba ’20, who ended up winning the entire ITA tournament. Additionally, Keane Hindle ’18 and Jackson Powell ’20 made their debut as a doubles team, yielding excellent results. They fought hard against Whitman’s Daniel Foster ’20 and Rajul Chikkalingaiah ’20, eventually reigning supreme with a score of 9-8. Additionally, they won their second round 8-4, only losing to Whitman’s Robert Carter ’18 and Jake Hoeger in the third round with a score of 8-4.

Brendon Barrows reflects on his time in Walla Walla with a bright smile on his face, stating, “It’s been awhile since we’ve had two players in ITA. Both freshmen put in good performance and it looks like we will be able to replace three lost players from last year… Brewer beating Zach, who was fifth in the country, highlighted a successful weekend.”