Story courtesy of Trinity University Sports Information
SAN ANTONIO -- Trinity University junior Matt Tyer and sophomore Wilson Lambeth have received Division III Men's Doubles All-America honors from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
Tyer and Lambeth advanced to the NCAA Division III Men's Doubles Championship quarterfinals at Chattanooga, Tennessee. The two Tigers became the first Trinity doubles team to advance to the NCAA quarterfinals since 2010.
Trinity's tandem came up short in the quarterfinals, but they had ousted the fourth-seeded team from Amherst (MA) College in the opening round of the 16-draw doubles event.
During the NCAA Championships, Lambeth was tabbed as the ITA Division III Men's National Player to Watch. Earlier, he was selected as the West Region Player to Watch. Lambeth became Trinity's second Division III Men's Player to Watch, as Sloan Rush earned the accolade in 2000.
Tyer and Lambeth chalked up a 14-10 record in dual-match play as a doubles team. The two Tigers were ranked seventh nationally and first in the West Region. Last fall, Tyer and Lambeth won the Regional doubles crown and then fought their way to the championship match of the ITA Oracle Cup, at Surprise, Arizona.
Tyer picked up All-America kudos for the second time, as he garnered the distinction in 2016. He had won the National Small College Doubles Championship - the forerunner of the Oracle Cup - in the fall of 2015 with former Tiger player Adam Krull.
The Tiger men's team opened its eighth consecutive NCAA Championship with a 5-2 second-round victory over #14 Whitman (WA) College in Claremont, California. The next day, Trinity was eliminated 5-0 in the third round by #3 and host Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges.
Trinity completed the season with a 17-11 dual-match record and a #13 national ranking. The Tigers were ranked third in the West Region.
Prior to competing in the NCAA Championship, the Tigers hosted, and won the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship. Trinity defeated Southwestern (TX) University 5-1 for its eighth consecutive title. It also marked the 22nd overall SCAC Championship for the Tigers, the most garnered by one team in any sport in conference history.
Head Coach Russell McMindes was elected the SCAC Men's Coach of the Year. He now holds at least a share of Coach of the Year honors for the seventh time in his eight-year tenure at the helm. Five Tiger players were elected to the All-SCAC Team, including Tyer and Lambeth.
