MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Drake University men's tennis team had an outstanding start to the ITA Central Regional Championships Thursday as six Bulldogs advanced to the second round of the singles draw and two doubles pair moved on as well.

In doubles, Calum MacGeoch and Ben Clark topped South Dakota State's Reinke and Martinez 8-4, while No. 5 seed Vinny Gillespie and Tom Hands received a bye to advance to the second round. Barny Thorold and Ben Wood dropped a tough tiebreaker 8-7(3) to Minnesota's Alpaza and Ogilvy.
 
The Bulldogs saw five players earn victories in the singles draw, while No. 4 seed Gillespie also advanced to the second round as he received a bye. Thorold put together one of the best wins of the day as he upset No. 17 seed Jake Van Emburgh from Oklahoma 7-6(4), 7-6(5). Hands, who is the No. 25 seed, rolled past Nebraska's Rok Krizaj 6-3, 6-1. MacGeoch, who made a deep run in last year's event, chalked up a first round win over UMKC's Amaury Navette, 6-4, 7-5. Freshman Freddie Powell earned his first collegiate victory with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Minnesota's Kaleb Dobbs. Clark tallied the final win of the day for the Bulldogs with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Oklahoma State's Brady Draheim.
 
Action will continue on Friday with the second and third round in singles and the second round in doubles. 


DAY ONE RESULTS
Singles (First Round)
No. 4 Gillespie (Bye)
MacGeoch def. Navette (UMKC), 6-4, 7-5
Powell def. Dobbs (Minn.), 6-2, 6-4
No. 25 Tom Hands def. Krizaj (Neb), 6-3, 6-1
Clark def. Draheim (OKSt), 6-2, 6-2
Thorold def. No. 17 Van Emburgh (Okla), 7-6(4), 7-6(5)
No. 17 Scaglia (OKSt) def. Wood, 6-3, 6-3
 
Doubles (First Round)
MacGeoch/Clark def. Reinke/Martinez (SDSU)<>
No. 5 Gillespie/Hands (Bye)
Alpaza/Ogilvy (Minn) def. Wood/Thorold, 8-7(3).