CLAREMONT, California – Cal Lutheran tennis was represented by 17 different players across both the men's and women's teams this past weekend at the 2024 ITA Division III West Regional Championships. The individual event was hosted by Claremont MS and Pomona Pitzer, and it consisted of three men's singles draws, two women's singles draws, two men's doubles draws, and one women's doubles draw.
The Regals' Carmen Bufkin entered the top women's singles draw as the 5-seed (of 32) and advanced to the semifinals after defeating the 4-seed in straight sets in the quarterfinals. Her run would end there, but her impressive play this weekend puts her in consideration for an at-large invitation to the ITA National Championships in Rome, Georgia on October 12-13.
Luisa Garcia reached the semifinals of the women's singles B draw by winning her first three matches in straight sets, including defeats of the bracket's 7- and 3-seeds. Maddy Ford advanced to the quarterfinals in the same draw after defeating the 4-seed in straight sets in the second round.
Freshman Evelyn Oltmans suffered a first-round loss in the women's singles B draw, but she responded by going on to win the consolation draw in her collegiate debut. After winning her first consolation match in a tiebreak, she cruised through her final three matches in straight sets.
Raphael Simon, a sophomore from France for the Kingsmen, reached the semifinals of the men's singles C draw in dramatic fashion, following up his first-round bye with consecutive tiebreak wins by scores of 11-9 and 10-8.
Freshman Finlay Edwards and Junior transfer Jerry Dominguez captured the title in the men's doubles B draw, defeating the 1-seed pairing in the finals. Edwards made the move to Cal Lutheran from England, while Dominguez joined the Kingsmen after beginning his college career at College of the Desert.
Overall, the Cal Lutheran tennis program had a strong showing this weekend, as the new arrivals of Oltmans, Edwards, and Dominguez inspire confidence for the spring season. For now, the Regals' Bufkin will wait to hear if her name is called for the ITA Cup in Georgia.
