NORMAN, Okla. – The Drake men's tennis team continued its fall season with a competitive showing at the 2025 ITA Division I Men's Central Regional Championships, hosted by the University of Oklahoma in Norman. The Bulldogs demonstrated depth and resilience throughout the event, with nearly every player recording at least one match victory. Three of the six Bulldogs also qualified into the main draw.

Six Bulldogs entered regional play, with three advancing through qualifying into the main draw. Senior Christian Winstead and sophomore Jose Alessandro Hernandez joined the field as direct entrants.

Junior Ben Johnson led the way for Drake with an impressive tournament performance. The 11th-seeded Johnson received a first-round bye before cruising past Omaha's Anthony Scheglowski, 6-1, 6-2, to advance to the Round of 16.

Freshman Ulysse Verrando also made a strong impression in his regional debut. He opened with a dominant 6-0, 6-1 win over Oral Roberts' Cristian Pensavalle, then battled past North Dakota's Walker Valentine in a three-set thriller, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, to reach the Round of 16.

Junior Alan Gonzalez, the No. 2 seed in his section, added another highlight for the Bulldogs. After receiving a first-round bye, he defeated Memphis' Lasse Rensing 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 to earn his spot in the Round of 16, where he is slated to face Omaha's Christian Trevey.

Elsewhere in the draw, freshman Max Goldemberg rallied from a set down to edge Creighton's Mathis Dahler, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (10-8). Sophomore Adan Tarquino also collected an opening-round win, defeating Oral Roberts' Halston Redwine, 6-3, 6-2, before falling in a competitive three-set match to Tulsa's Connor Thomas Doig.

Freshman Arin Menon received a bye into the Round of 32 but was edged out by Omaha's Pavan Uppu, 1-6, 4-6. Fellow freshman Alex Yeager dropped his Round-of-64 match to Oral Roberts' Rodrigo Guijarro Martin, 4-6, 3-6, while Francisco Landeras fell to North Dakota's Christos Alex, 6-3, 6-1.

The Bulldogs produced multiple main draw victories and several strong performances throughout the weekend. Johnson and Verrando both highlighted Drake's presence deep into the draw, while the team's collective success showcased the program's growing depth heading into the rest of the fall season.