MOLINE, Ill. – It took a while for the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin men's tennis match with Illinois Wesleyan to finally take place but when it did, the results were certainly favorable for Augustana. The Vikings rolled past the Titans 8-1 on Wednesday, April 27 at the Quad City Tennis Club in Moline, Illinois in a rare mid-week matinee special. The match, which was originally scheduled for the first week of April, was moved several times due to weather. Even when the match was played, it was moved from its scheduled time of 4:00 p.m. at the Lower Campus Courts, to 1:30 p.m. at the QC Tennis Club because of rain.
 
Augustana jumped out to a 3-0 lead after doubles play but the Vikings number one team of sophomore Eric Pohl (Fremd HS, Palatine, Ill.) and senior Harald Olsson (Hersby Gymnasium, Stockholm, Sweden) had a struggle with the Titans team of George Alex and Kurt Meyer before finally winning 9-7.
 
Freshman Jack Morkin (Normal University HS, Bloomington, Ill.) and junior Connor Woolf (Evanston HS, Evanston, Ill.) easily handled John Cordan and Bryce Dolan 8-0 at number two doubles. The Vikings number three team of senior Austin Schoeck (Alleman Catholic HS, Rock Island, Ill.) and senior John Alexander (Rockford Guilford HS, Loves Park, Ill.) beat Calen Crim and Brian Nelms 8-2.
 
Pohl suffered the lone Augustana loss of the afternoon as he dropped a 5-7; 7-6; 10-8 decision to Alex at number one singles.
 
The rest of the Viking contingent won in straight sets in singles play. Senior Patrick Lenz (Villanova Prep HS, Ojai, Calif.) took care of Meyer 6-1; 6-1 at number two and freshman Carl Christensen (Hoellviken, Sweden) beat Crim 6-3; 7-5 at number three. Morkin came away from his match at number four with Cordan a 6-2; 6-2 victor and Schoeck, the reigning CCIW "Player of the Week" defeated Dolan 6-1; 6-0 at number five. Junior Jonathon Elsey (York HS, Elmhurst, Ill.) beat Nelms 6-0; 6-0 at number six.
 
Augustana, which has won five of its last six matches, moved to 13-10 overall and 4-2 in the CCIW while Illinois Wesleyan dropped to 0-13 and 0-4. The Vikings will play in the CCIW Tournament on May 5-7 in Wheaton, Illinois.