DIII’s Top Talent Ready for Indoor Battle

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Swanson Tennis Center on the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College

ST. PETER, MN – The Swedish and Lutheran heritage, historic Gustavus Adolphus College is playing host to this year’s Division III ITA Men’s Team Indoor Championship on the events 20th anniversary. First serve is slated for Friday, February 21. 

Just a quick drive south of Minneapolis, an hour to be exact, eight of the best teams in Division III are set to face off at the Swanson Tennis Center. The three-day event hosted by Gustavus Adolphus College will determine the Indoor champion, and each team is guaranteed three dual-matches over the course of the weekend even if eliminated.

While Emory University comes into the tournament as the top-ranked team in the field, the two-seed Claremont-Mudd-Scripps enter the weekend having never won the title. Emory University has taken home the indoor crown a total of eight times dating back to 2004.

While the University of Chicago is the reigning champion, they enter the event as the No. 3 seed looking to leave their mark again. They head to St. Peter without a loss this season and impressive shutout wins over DePauw and #29 Kalamazoo. 

Gustavus Adolphus College enters as the host and No. 8 seed and has not won the title since 2008. Five teams come ranked in the Top 10 of the Oracle ITA Rankings; Emory (1), CMS (2), University of Chicago (4), Brandeis University (8), and Washington University in St. Louis (9). 

The University Athletic Association is well represented this weekend as they have five institutions attending; Emory University, University of Chicago, Washington University in St. Louis, Brandeis University, and Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). UAA is the only conference with more than one institution represented.

Something very unique to Division III, the ITA awards a sportsmanship award following the indoor event. The award is dedicated to the memory of Steve Wilkinson, long time Gustavus men’s head tennis coach and founder of Tennis & Life Camps. Steve was a figure of change in bringing indoor championships to Division III. The award is presented to the team that has displayed exceptional sportsmanship, character, and ethical conduct in the true spirit of competition and college tennis during the ITA Division III National Men’s Team Indoor Championship each year. 

The Championship will run Feb. 21-23 in St. Peter. Live results will be provided and a live stream will be available provided by Gustavus Adolphus College. 

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