University of Minnesota Athletics
Three Gophers Set For B1G Indoors
11/4/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
The University of Minnesota men's tennis team is sending three players to the Big Ten Indoor Championships this weekend.
Jeremy Lynn along with freshmen Jesse Sprinkel and Marino Alpeza are headed to Iowa City, Iowa for the tournament.
The action will start with all the doubles play happening on Friday. The first two round of singles will happen Saturday with quarterfinals and back draw play Sunday. The singles semifinal and finals match will conclude the tournament on Monday.
"The team can sense the spring season is around the corner and we have raised our intensity level even further to prepare," freshman Jesse Sprinkel said. "We are excited to utilize some of the things we have been working on in the Big Ten Indoor Championship as we try to get one step closer to where we need to be for the dual match season."
Chance for the freshman to shine
Last year at the Big Ten Indoor Championships, then freshman Felix Corwin and Matic Spec met in the singles championship with Corwin going on to win 7-6 (6), 6-3. They both went on to have successful springs helping Minnesota out on their way to a Big Ten championship.
With two freshman competing in this year's tournament, a young Gopher team will be looking for Sprinkel and Alpeza to get solid experience and pick up some big wins as the fall season is coming to a close.
So far this season
There have been three tournaments so far this fall that Minnesota has competed in. Four Gophers kicked their season off at the Wildcat Invite, Corwin and Spec both competed in the ITA All-Americans and the majority of the team hit the courts at the ITA Central Region Championships.
At the Wildcat Invite Justyn Levin and Sprinkel advanced all the way to the doubles final in their first collegiate tournament. Spec and Corwin won the doubles championship at regionals to highlight the fall so far.
Corwin and Levin are both 5-2 in singles on the season. Ruben Weber and Spec are each 3-2 and Alpeza with one tournament under his belt is 2-1. Spec and Corwin are 5-0 in doubled while Levin and Sprinkel are 3-2 and Weber and Lynn are 2-1.
Gophers in the news
Weber was recently featured on the Gopher Sports Podcast for an international student-athlete feature looking at how the players adjusted to coming over to Minnesota. Listen to the podcast here.
Lynn and Alpeza have been featured in the Minnesota Daily this season with one on Sprinkel coming out later this week. Click on their names below to read those stories.
Lynn
Alpeza
Looking ahead
Corwin and Spec will compete in the National Indoor Championships in doubles after winning the ITA Regional Championships earlier this fall.
Levin, Alpeza, Weber and Lynn will compete in the Lakewood Ranch Invitational Nov. 13-15 for the final tournament of the fall season.
Following the Gophers?
Keep up with all the latest news and features on the Gophers men's tennis team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @gophermtennis.
Players Mentioned
