Contact: Alex Mielcarz, Athletics Communication Graduate Assistant, ajmielcarz@noctrl.edu
BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Oct. 4, 2026) – Four North Central College men's tennis student-athletes traveled to Brownsburg, Indiana, this weekend to take part in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) Central Region Tournament hosted at Wabash College over three days, beginning on Friday. Philipp Wottgen and Henry Ros delivered an impressive performance in the doubles tournament, reaching the championship match of the consolation bracket.
Rafael Lessa and Andres Valverde Gonzalez also competed over the weekend, qualifying for the consolation semifinals in doubles themselves.
The duo of Lessa and Valverde faltered in their opening match, losing 8-5 in the round of 64. Despite the loss, the pair got red-hot in the consolation bracket. After earning a win via a withdrawal in the consolation round of 32, they claimed an 8-6 victory in the round of 16.
The squad then took part in an incredible nail-biter in the quarterfinals. Tied with their opponent 7-7, Â Lessa and Valverde Gonzalez took to a tie-breaking 15th game to decide the match. They locked in to blank their opponent 7-0 in the tiebreaker, winning the match 8-7 (7-0) to advance to the consolation semifinals.
Lessa and Valverde Gonzalez came just two games shy of clinching an all-North Central championship match, losing in the semifinal 8-6 to a duo from Otterbein College.
Ros and Wottgen also fell in their opening doubles contest, losing 8-3 in the round of 64. Then, like their teammates, they caught fire and proceeded to run through the consolation bracket. They rolled through their consolation round of 32 match 8-2, and continued that dominance in the round of 16, winning 8-3. The pairing then advanced into the semifinals after winning the quarterfinals match via walkover.
In the semifinals, Wottgen and Ros dispatched their opponent 8-5, claiming their spot in the consolation championship. Sadly, due to weather earlier in the weekend, the doubles consolation championship match was not played, making Ros and Wottgen co-champions of the consolation bracket with the team from Otterbein.
Ros and Wottgen competed in Flight A of the singles tournament, while Lessa and Valverde Gonzalez both competed in Flight B.
Ros started his journey through the bracket on Friday by matching up with a fellow CCIW student-athlete: Yong Seok Andrew Jang of Wheaton College. Ros took the match in straight sets, winning 6-1, 6-3 to advance into the round of 32. In his round of 32 match, Ros dropped the first set 6-3, but was given the win after his opponent was forced to retire due to injury.
Ros' run through Flight A was stopped in the round of 16. He fell in his Saturday afternoon match 6-2, 6-1.
Wottgen, like Ros, won his opening match in the top flight, claiming a 6-2, 6-2 win in the round of 64. He ran out of momentum in the round of 32, however, losing 6-4, 6-4 to Jerry Han of Washington University in St. Louis, a top player in the region.
In Flight B, Lessa started his weekend with a loss on Saturday morning to another WashU opponent, falling in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3.
Lessa bounced back in the consolation round of 32, defeating his opponent in commanding fashion (6-1, 6-1). In the quarterfinals, Lessa fell in the opening set, 6-2. He then fought to knot the second set at 6-6, forcing a tiebreak, which he lost 10-8 despite his best efforts.
Valverde Gonzalez also competed in Flight B. After falling 6-1, 6-0 in the opening match, he then fell in his round-of-32 consolation contest 6-2, 6-3.
