Contact: Brock Reisler, Assistant Executive Director, breisler@midwestconference.org
OSHKOSH, Wisconsin – Lake Forest College’s Felipe Moraes was named the Midwest Conference Men’s Tennis Player of the Year as the league announced its all-conference teams and major award winners on Wednesday morning.
Playing all but one match at #1 singles in the 2025-26 regular season, Moraes went 4-0 in Midwest Conference regular season play, winning a trio of three-set matches. He picked up a regionally ranked win against Grinnell and has amassed a 16-3 overall dual record (16-6 overall), winning his last 10 matches. In doubles, he has gone 21-6 throughout the campaign - including a 17-4 record at the #1 position with Rodrigo Cunha and Joao Espindola.
Moraes was a runner-up at last weekend’s 2026 MWC Men’s Tennis Individual Tournament, advancing to the championship match at No. 1 Doubles with Rodrigo Cunha.
Grinnell College’s Maxi Gutbezahl was named the league’s Newcomer of the Year. Playing primarily at #2 singles, Gutbezahl went 16-4 in dual competition (21-6 overall) and was a four-time, straight-set victor in MWC regular season play. He is currently on an eight-match winning streak.
Moraes and Gutbezahl highlighted the MWC Men’s Tennis All-Conference Singles and All-Conference Doubles Teams, each consisting of ten players. Across both teams, Grinnell led all schools with eight selections, while Lake Forest followed closely behind with six. Cornell College tallied four honorees, while Lawrence University and Ripon College each had one.
In his fifth year as head coach of the Pioneers, Zack Hasenyager was named MWC Men’s Tennis Coach of the Year for the second time in his career. Under Hasenyager’s guidance, Grinnell won its 22nd consecutive Midwest Conference men’s tennis regular season title, going 18-6 overall (6-0 MWC) and achieving its highest national ITA ranking in school history (#19).
The MWC postseason honors are determined by a vote of the league’s seven head coaches, who are not permitted to vote for their own players or teams. This marks the fourth presentation of the MWC Men’s Tennis Player of the Year award and the second year that All-Conference Singles and Doubles Teams were selected by coaches rather than based on results from the MWC Individual Tournament.
The full list of All-MWC Singles and Doubles Team honorees and major award winners can be found below.
All-Conference Singles
Trent Devore, Cornell College
Jack Saunders, Cornell College
Lucas Willett, Grinnell College
Maxi Gutbezahl, Grinnell College
Garvin Murray, Grinnell College
Felipe Moraes, Lake Forest College
Bernardo Aguiar, Lake Forest College
George Ciuca, Lake Forest College
William Reichen, Lawrence University
Caleb Sippel, Ripon College
All-Conference Doubles
Trent Devore, Cornell College
Jack Saunders, Cornell College
Alex Doane, Grinnell College
Lucas Willett, Grinnell College
Albert Bostoen, Grinnell College
Gervase Ngo, Grinnell College
Maxi Gutbezahl, Grinnell College
Felipe Moraes, Lake Forest College
Rodrigo Cunha, Lake Forest College
Bernardo Aguiar, Lake Forest College
Newcomer of the Year – Maxi Gutbezahl, Grinnell College
Player of the Year – Felipe Moraes, Lake Forest College
Coach of the Year – Zack Hasenyager, Grinnell College