DENVER, Colo. – Montana State Billings' men's and women's tennis teams fell in the championship and the consolation final matches Saturday at the Gates Tennis Center in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tennis Championships. On the men's side, the upset-minded Yellowjackets fell to top-seeded and 34th-ranked Western New Mexico 5-0 who earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Central Regional May 1-3. On the women's side, the Yellowjackets fell in a hard-fought 5-3 loss in the consolation bracket to fifth-seeded Colorado Christian.
With the loss, the Yellowjackets fell to 10-9 on the year, while WNMU improved to 17-5. On the women's side, the Yellowjackets finished the season with an 8-13 mark, while CCU improved to 6-7.
RMAC Player of the Year, Emmanuel Mensah and Johan Weich downed sophomore Navin Marimuthu and freshman Kavindu Gamage at No. 1 doubles, 8-3, to begin the championship match. Mensah and Weich are ranked 36th nationally as a doubles tandem. The Mustangs went on to win the other two doubles matches to take a 3-0 lead into singles play.
Mensah, ranked 53rd nationally in singles, downed Marimuthu 6-1, 6-3 at No. 1, while Weich bested Yellowjacket freshman Brad Knutson 6-1, 6-2 at No. 5 for the two team points needed to clinch the championship. MSUB had a couple of leads in the other matches which were pulled after WNMU won the decisive team point.
Nebraska-Kearney won the third place match 5-0 over host Metro State. The Yellowjackets now will wait to see if they receive an at large bid to the NCAA regional.
On the women's side, the Yellowjackets and Cougars met for the third time this season and CCU won each of the meetings. The Cougars began doubles play with wins at Nos. 1 and 2. CCU's Elizabeth Vertin and Chelsea Snow squeaked past Yellowjacket tandem of junior Johnna Beatty and graduate Maria Peterson 9-7, while the Jackets won at No. 3 as junior Libby Rutz and freshman Kayla Rochin won 8-6.
CCU's top singles player and 41st-ranked Amy Anderson handed sophomore Kim Karlsson a 6-4, 6-1 loss, while senior Rikki Peach battled back at No. 2 singles after a 6-1 opening set loss to win the second set 6-4, but lost the decisive set 6-4.
Beatty and Peterson posted wins for the Jackets at Nos. 3-4 as Beatty won in straight sets 6-2, 6-0, while Peterson lost the first set 6-1, but came back with a pair of 6-2 finishes in the final two sets for the win. Savannah Wahab defeated Rutz at No. 5 6-0, 6-0, while Vanessa Vasquez and Rochin didn't finish their match at No. 6.
#34 Western New Mexico 5, Montana State Billings 0
Singles competition
1. #53 Emmanuel Mensah (WNMU) def. Navin Marimuthu (MSUB) 6-1, 6-3
2. Yair Banuelos (WNMU) vs. Alonso Leon (MSUB) unfinished
3. Rodrigo Almeida (WNMU) vs. Kavindu Gamage (MSUB) unfinished
4. Henning Thrien (WNMU) vs. Delbert Landicho (MSUB) unfinished
5. Johan Weich (WNMU) def. Brad Knutson (MSUB) 6-1, 6-2
6. Jean Benoit Belin (WNMU) vs. Thomas Staffileno (MSUB) unfinished
Doubles competition
1. #36 Emmanuel Mensah/Johan Weich (WNMU) def. Navin Marimuthu/Kavindu Gamage (MSUB) 8-3
2. Jean Benoit Belin/Rodrigo Almeida (WNMU) def. Delbert Landicho/Brad Knutson (MSUB) 8-2
3. Yair Banuelos/Henning Thrien (WNMU) def. Alonso Leon/Thomas Staffileno (MSUB) 8-2
Match Notes:
Montana State Billings 10-9; Regional ranking #3
Western New Mexico 17-5; National ranking #34; Regional ranking #1
RMAC Tournament championship ... WNMU No. 1 seed, MSUB No. 3 seed
Western New Mexico wins RMAC championship
Colorado Christian 5, Montana State Billings 3
Singles competition
1. #41 Amy Anderson (CCU) def. Kim Karlsson (MSUB) 6-4, 6-1
2. Kara Williams (CCU) def. Rikki Peach (MSUB) 6-1, 4-6, 6-4
3. Johnna Beatty (MSUB) def. Elizabeth Vertin (CCU) 6-2, 6-0
4. Maria Peterson (MSUB) def. Chelsea Snow (CCU) 1-6, 6-2, 6-2
5. Savannah Wahab (CCU) def. Libby Rutz (MSUB) 6-0, 6-0
6. Vanessa Vasquez (CCU) vs. Kayla Rochin (MSUB) unfinished
Doubles competition
1. Amy Anderson/Kara Williams (CCU) def. Kim Karlsson/Rikki Peach (MSUB) 8-3
2. Elizabeth Vertin/Chelsea Snow (CCU) def. Johnna Beatty/Maria Peterson (MSUB) 9-7
3. Libby Rutz/Kayla Rochin (MSUB) def. Savannah Wahab/Vanessa Vasquez (CCU) 8-6
Match Notes:
Montana State Billings 8-13
Colorado Christian 6-7; Regional ranking #8
RMAC Tournament fifth place match ... CCU No. 5 seed, MSUB No. 6 seed
