Drake Men’s Tennis Kicks Off Fall Season With Two Tournaments
DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University men’s tennis team launched its 2025 fall season with a strong showing across two weekend tournaments, the River Forest Invite and the Drake Flights, securing multiple championships and promising results for the season ahead. The Bulldogs demonstrated early success, signaling a competitive edge as they prepare for upcoming challenges.
The team’s performance this weekend is a key indicator of their potential for the 2025 season, providing valuable competitive experience and identifying areas for growth. These early tournaments allow coaches to assess player advancement and refine strategies before the spring championship season. The Bulldogs will continue to build momentum with further fall competitions, aiming to translate this initial success into a strong overall record.
Drake began competition on September 12th at the River Forest Invite in Illinois, facing opponents from Saint Louis, Marquette, Washington University, Western Michigan, UIC, and fellow Summit League member Illinois State. Alan Gonzalez led the Bulldogs at River Forest, finishing third in the second singles flight after defeating Colin Scruggs of Washington University (6-1, 6-3) and Mihailo Savic of UIC (7-5, 6-3). Ben Johnson also made a strong run, reaching the semifinals of the third singles flight, while all Drake doubles teams achieved a 1-1 record.
The following day, September 13th, the bulldogs hosted the Drake Flights, competing against Grinnell and Gustavus Adolphus. Drake dominated singles play,going 5-1 overall. Christian Winstead secured two victories, winning 6-1, 5-7, 10-4 and 6-3, 6-4. Freshman Max Goldemberg added a 6-2,6-2 win,while fellow freshman Arin Menon captured two wins,including a straight-set victory (6-0,6-1) and a comeback win (4-6,6-1,6-1).
The strong singles performances culminated in championships for Winstead and Menon, and a finals appearance for Goldemberg. The bulldogs will continue their fall schedule with future tournaments to be announced.
