Contact: Chassidy Holloway, Associate Executive Director, holloway@midwestconference.org
 
GRINNELL, Iowa – The Pioneers of Grinnell College finished first in the 2023 Midwest Conference (MWC) men’s tennis preseason coaches’ poll, announced Friday.
 
Grinnell received six of seven available first-place votes and 36 points to lead all seven league teams. The Pioneers finished the 2022 season undefeated in league play (6-0) and collected its eighteenth consecutive MWC Men’s Tennis Championship.
 
In second place with 31 points and one first-place vote were the Foresters of Lake Forest College. Last season, Lake Forest went 5-1 in league play for a second-place finish in the standings and finished as the runner-up to the team title.
 
Rounding out the top-three, the Rams of Cornell College collected 25 points.
 
In fourth place, the Red Hawks of Ripon College picked up 19 points, followed by the Vikings of Lawrence University (18), the Blueboys of Illinois College (11), and the Scots of Monmouth College (7).
 
The 2023 men’s tennis season is scheduled to begin Saturday, January 28, with the Pioneers in non-conference action. The remaining league teams will open the season during the weekend of February 3-4. 
 
The 2023 MWC Men’s Tennis Championship is slated for Friday, April 28, at the Clubs at River City in Peoria, Illinois. The top four teams in the final league standings will qualify for the tournament to compete for the team title and the automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. The Individual Singles & Doubles Tournament will follow on April 29-30.
 
Full preseason coaches’ poll results and quick facts for all seven league teams can be found below:
 
2023 MWC Men’s Tennis Preseason Coaches’ Poll Results
1. Grinnell College (6) – 36 points
2. Lake Forest College (1) – 31 points
3. Cornell College – 25 points
4. Ripon College – 19 points
5. Lawrence University – 18 points
6. Illinois College – 11 points
7. Monmouth College – 7 points
 
() – indicates first-place votes
*Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own teams.
 
Cornell College Rams
Head Coach: Trent Schneider (2^nd Season) 
2022: 9-13 (overall), 3-3 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: N/A
 
Grinnell College Pioneers
Head Coach: Zack Hasenyager (2^nd Season)
2022: 14-12 (overall), 6-0 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: Henry Bridgers (Jr), Wilder Cooke (So), Leo Esztergomi (Jr), Jonah Gilmore (Jr), Karch Knoll (So), Sam Rudenberg (So)
 
Illinois College Blueboys
Interim Head Coach: Scott Weakley (1^st Season)
2022: 1-18 (overall), 0-6 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: N/A
  
Lake Forest College Foresters
Head Coach: Scot Reinhart (2^nd Season)
2022: 12-9 (overall), 5-1 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: Kyle Lassen (So), Eduardo Manuitt (Jr), Jacob Tilton (Sr), Daniel Tulchinskiy (So – 2022 Newcomer of the Year), Oleksyi Vyshyvanyuk (Sr – 2022 Player of the Year)
 
Lawrence University Vikings
Head Coach: Ryan Ruzziconi (1^st Season)
2022: 4-14 (overall), 2-4 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: N/A

Monmouth College Scots
Head Coach: Brian Dahlstrom (1^st Season)
2022: 1-12 (overall), 1-5 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: N/A
 
Ripon College Red Hawks
Head Coach: Steve Burns (4^th Season)
2022: 7-8 (overall), 4-2 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: N/A