MOLINE, Ill. – Despite playing without number one singles and doubles player, junior Lawrence Palmer (Schiller International School, El Prat de Llobregat, Spain), Augustana opened the 2014 season on a successful note with a pair of non-conference victories on Saturday, February 1. The Vikings defeated Wabash 6-3 and Edgewood 8-1 at the Quad City Tennis Club in Moline, Illinois.
 
The Vikings, now 2-0, will travel to DePere, Wisconsin on Saturday, February 8 to face St. Norbert and Luther.
 
AUGUSTANA 6, WABASH 3
 
Freshman Connor Woolf (Evanston HS, Evanston, Ill.) was a double winner for the Vikings in their first dual of the day, a 6-3 win over Wabash. Woolf won 6-1, 6-1 over Nathan Neal at number four singles and teamed with senior Colin Arnold (Sterling HS, Sterling, Ill.) for an 8-5 win over Neal and Mazin Hakim at second doubles.
 
Also picking singles victories for Miedema were seniors Kevin Bayles (Homewood-Flossmoor HS, Homewood, Ill.) and Grant Wick (Windsor HS, Fort Collins, Colo.) and sophomore Patrick Lenz (Villanova Prep, Ojai, Calif.). Bayles was a 4-6, 6-4, 10-7 victor over Nate Koelper at number two. Wick (Windsor HS, Fort Collins, Colo.) defeated Harrison Schafer love and two at number five and Lenz was a 6-1, 6-0 winner over Nick Minaudo at number six.
 
Sophomore Austin Schoeck (Alleman HS, Rock Island, Ill.) and sophomore Patrick Elsey (York HS, Elmhurst, Ill.) accounted for Augustana's other win, besting Schafer and Minaudo 8-1 at third doubles.
 
The Little Giants got wins at first and third singles and first doubles. Michael Makio defeated Viking senior Andy Wall (Notre Dame Academy, De Pere, Wis.) 6-2 7-6 at number one singles and combined with Koelper for a 8-5 win over Wall and Bayles at first doubles. Hakim posted a 6-4, 0-6, 12-10 win over Arnold and number three singles.
 
AUGUSTANA 8, EDGEWOOD 1
 
After opening the 2014 season with a 6-3 win over Wabash in the morning, the Vikings came back with an 8-1 win against Edgewood. A sweep of the singles action highlighted the win over the Eagles. Included in those six singles win was complete domination of spots four through six.
 
The Augustana trio of freshman Connor Woolf (Evanston HS, Evanston, Ill.), senior Grant Wick (Windsor HS, Fort Collins, Colo.) and sophomore Patrick Lenz (Villanova Prep, Ojai, Calif.) didn't lose a single set in winning their respective matches. Woolf beat Michael Wanta 6-0; 6-0 while Wick defeated Alex Hadjiev and Lenz took care of Ben Pratscher by the same score.
 
Senior Andy Wall (Notre Dame Academy, DePere, Wis.) beat Austin Papenthien 6-0; 6-3 at number one singles. Senior Kevin Bayles (Homewood-Flossmoor HS, Flossmoor, Ill.) defeated Brian Davenport 3-6; 6-1; 10-5 at number two and senior Colin Arnold (Sterling HS, Sterling, Ill.) won a tough 6-4; 2-6; 10-7 decision over Patrick Langman at number three.
 
In doubles action, Woolf and Arnold beat Davenport and Wanta 8-3 at number two while the number three team of sophomore Austin Schoeck (Rock Island Alleman HS, Rock Island, Ill.) and freshman Jonathon Elsey (York HS, Elmhurst, Ill.) shut out Hadjiev and Pratscher 8-0 at number three.
 
The lone loss came at number one doubles where Wall and Bayles fell 8-4 to Papenthien and Lagman.