Box Score

MOUNT VERNON – Drew Arnold (JR/Georgetown, Texas) celebrated his Senior Day and final home men's tennis dual with the clinching singles win in Cornell's 6-3 Midwest Conference South Division semifinal victory over Monmouth Wednesday.

Coach Peter Dumas' second-seeded Rams (10-8 overall) defeated Monmouth for the third time in two weeks, and now advance to Saturday's South Division Championship to face undefeated and top-seeded Grinnell in Grinnell.

Cornell's only two divisional losses this spring came against Grinnell, both 9-0 outcomes. The Pioneers (7-0), who have yet to surrender a match, moved on with a 9-0 semifinal victory over Illinois College.

The champions from the South and North divisions play for the MWC Championship May 8, hosted by the North representative.

The Rams reached the 10-win mark for the 12th time in the last 13 years. They also assured themselves of a third consecutive winning dual season. 

Arnold helped Cornell rally past the Fighting Scots (2-7) after a 2-1 deficit in doubles play. The Rams went on to win five of the six singles bouts, including Arnold's meet-clinching 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 triumph over Brendan Guenther at No. 4.

Freshman Chris Penas-Hull (FR/Lincoln, Neb.) capped Cornell's strong performance with a 4-6, 6-4, 10-5 comeback win at No. 3 singles in the final match of the dual.

The Rams received straight-set singles wins from No. 2 player Alexander Hadler-Strumlauf (FR/La Jolla, Calif.) (6-1, 6-4), No. 5 player Alejandro Colorado (JR/Antiguo Cuscatlan, El Salvador) (6-0, 6-0) and No. 6 player Bryce Fincher (SO/Lafayette, Colo.) (6-2, 6-2).

In doubles, Cornell's No. 3 tandem of Colorado and Michael Coester (SO/Cedar Rapids, Iowa) earned an 8-6 victory.

The Rams fell short at No. 1 doubles, 8-6, and No. 2 doubles, 8-4.