Storm men sweep Ripon, Bethany Lutheran in Minnesota

OWATONNA, Minn. - The Simpson men's tennis team followed the lead of its top three singles players to earn wins over Ripon and Bethany Lutheran on Saturday.

The Storm (4-3) rolled Ripon 9-0 and earned a 5-4 win over Bethany Lutheran. 

Zach Kusick, Pierce Carey, Peter Rietgraf and Zach Nelson all went 2-0 in singles competition while the doubles team of Kusick and Rietgraf also finished the day unscathed.  

The Storm's top three singles players - Kusick, Carey and Rietgraf - set the tone for the day.

Against Ripon, Kusick breezed past Lincoln Wurtz in straight sets at No. 1, Carey beat Zach Muench 6-0, 6-2 at No. 2 and Rietgraf had little trouble with Jacob Kramer, winning 6-2, 6-1 at No. 3. Geoff Converse beat Ben Ermatinger 6-1, 6-0 at No. 4, Adam Wieser beat Steven Lanphier in straight sets at No. 5 and Nelson won by forfeit at No. 6. 

Simpson won easily in the two contested doubles matches, as the duo of Kusick and Reitgraf won 8-1 over Wurtz and Muench and the team of Carey and Wieser beat Kramer and Ermatinger 8-0.

The Storm had a tougher time with Bethany Lutheran.

Simpson lost 2 of 3 doubles, but got a big win from Kusick and Rietgraf at No. 1. The duo held on to beat Brent Heflin and Dalton Werckman 8-6, a result critical to the result of the match.

Simpson responded by going 4-2 in doubles to earn the win. Kusick beat Hefflin 6-1, 7-5 at No. 1, Carey beat Jacob Kubler 6-2, 6-1 at No. 2 and Rietgraf edged Werckman 7-5, 6-1 at No. 3. Nelson added a 6-2, 6-0 win over Robbie Stevens at No. 6 to help give the Storm the win.

Up next: Simpson closes the weekend Sunday morning against Martin Luther in Owatonna.