April 22, 2000
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - San Diego State's bid for its first ever Mountain West Conference tournament championship came to an end Saturday, as the 29th-ranked and top-seeded Aztec men's tennis team was upset by New Mexico, 4-1, in the league final at the Lobo Tennis Club in Albuquerque. It was the first loss since March 12 for the 15-7 Aztecs, who entered the final on a nine-match winning streak. New Mexico, meanwhile, improved to 10-13 with the win.
"(New Mexico) played with a lot of emotion today," SDSU head coach John Nelson said. "Their crowd got on us and the Lobos were able to feed off of it. We had our opportunities but they just played better today."
New Mexico opened the match by capturing the double point with wins at No. 1 and 2. The Lobo pair of Matt Amgwerd and Nic Dubey put UNM on the board first with an 8-3 victory over SDSU's Alex Waske and Adam Webster. The Aztecs bounced back to level the doubles at 1-1 behind a 9-7 win at No. 3 by Travis Hasson and Gabe over UNM's Andrew Irving and Kyle Russell. However, the Lobos sewed up the double point at No. 2 as Takeshi Itoh and Bart Scott defeated SDSU's Oliver Maiberger and Valentino Pest, 8-6.
New Mexico kept things rolling in singles with wins at the No. 5 and 6 spots. Webster gave SDSU a brief glimmer of hope at No. 4 with a 6-1, 6-3 win over UNM's Michael Polasek. But it didn't last long as Itoh clinched the championship for the Lobos with a 7-6, 6-0 win over Pest at No. 3. Singles matches at No. 1 and 2 were suspended once the match was clinched.
Despite the loss, San Diego State is expected to qualify for its third straight NCAA Men's Tennis Championship Tournament. The NCAA selection committee will announce the 64-team field as well as the 16 regional sites on Wednesday, May 5.
"It's just one loss, a tough one, but just one nonetheless," Nelson said. "We'll get ready for the NCAA Tournament over the next few weeks and I expect us to make a strong run there."
Play begins at the 16 first- and second-round regional sites on Saturday, May 13. Last year, the Aztecs were sent north to UCLA. SDSU defeated Tulsa in the opening round before falling in the regional final to the Bruins.
2000 Mountain West Conference
Men's Tennis Championships
Lobo Tennis Club Albuquerque, N.M.
Apr. 22, 2000
Championship: New Mexico defeats San Diego State, 4-1
Singles
1. Matt Amgwerd (UNM) led Alex Waske (SDSU) 6-3, 3-6, 1-0, suspended
2. Nic Dubey (UNM) led Oliver Maiberger (SDSU) 2-6, 6-4, 1-0, suspended
3. Takeshi Itoh (UNM) def. Valentino Pest (SDSU) 7-6, 6-0
4. Adam Webster (SDSU) def. Michael Polasek (UNM) 6-1, 6-3
5. Andrew Irving (UNM) def. Matt Bere (SDSU) 6-4, 6-3
6. Bart Scott (UNM) def. Travis Hasson (SDSU) 7-6, 6-3
Doubles
1. Amgwerd/Dubey (UNM) def. Waske/Webster (SDSU) 8-3
2. Itoh/Scott (UNM) def. Maiberger/Pest (SDSU) 8-6
3. Hasson/Gabe Coren (SDSU) def. Irving/Kyle Russell (UNM) 9-7
UNM Record: 10-13
SDSU Record: 15-7