(LEBANON, Ill., April 25)—The McKendree University men's tennis team is one of four teams that will participate in the NAIA Region V Tournament, which is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center at Forest Park in St. Louis.

McKendree, 9-7 on the season, earned the No. 2 seed in the tournament and will face No. 3 Lindenwood University in a semifinal match at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. A victory would put the Bearcats into Sunday's championship contest against either Graceland University or Benedictine College. The winner of the NAIA Region V Men's Tennis Tournament earns an automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament, which will be held May 12-16 in Mobile, Ala.

The Bearcats punched their ticket to the regional event by winning the American Midwest Conference Tournament last weekend. McKendree defeated Missouri Baptist University 5-0 before taking a 5-1 decision over the University of Illinois at Springfield in the championship match. The tournament was slated to be held in Edwardsville, but was moved to the indoor facility at Kings Point in Belleville due to rain.

In the title match with Illinois-Springfield, McKendree won two of its three doubles contests. Playing at No. 2 doubles, freshman Timon Reichelt (Germany/) (Germany) and sophomore Daniel Gonzales (Lima, Peru) battled to an 8-6 victory, while freshman Evganiy Nigmatyanov (Uzbekistan) teamed with freshman Gus Occhipinti (Bahia Blanca, Argentina/) (Bahia Blanca, Argentina) to post an 8-4 win in the No. 3 doubles slot.

Reichelt and Gonzales rolled to easy wins in singles action. Reichelt took a 6-0, 6-3 decision at No. 1 singles while Gonzales registered a 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 3 singles. Occhipinti had the toughest time in the singles bracket, but managed to post a 7-5, 7-5 win at No. 6.

-McK-