BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Elmhurst men's tennis team toppled Wheaton College 5-3 to score its first CCIW Championship since the 1954 season.

Wheaton (13-7) jumped out in front by taking two of the three doubles matches. The Thunder's Ryan Kries and Josh Ward upended the Bluejays' Alex Harbert and Will Jung 8-3 at No. 1 doubles. Elmhurst (14-9) scored a point at No. 3 doubles when Vincent McPherson and Kevin Noble downed John Bodett and Derek Mumaw 8-4 to even the match. Wheaton went on top 2-1 after David Buursma and Miles Greenwald edged Elmhurst's Luke Tanaka and Chris Harrison 9-8 at No. 2 doubles. The tightly-contested match was decided by an 8-6 tiebreaker.

"Trailing 2-1 after doubles wasn't what we had in mind," said head coach Anthony McPherson. "But, I'm very impressed with how we rallied heading into singles play. Before we started, I reminded the guys about how hard they worked all season and that ever point was critical. I couldn't be prouder of how they responded."

In singles play, the Bluejays quickly evened the score as Jung evened the match with a 6-1, 7-6 win over Ward at No. 2 singles. Harrison breezed past Bodett 6-1, 6-1 at No. 6 singles to put the Bluejays on top 3-2.

Quinn Jennings rallied from a set down at No. 5 singles to defeat Mumaw 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 and give Elmhurst a 4-2 lead in the match. With three matches remaining on the court, Elmhurst clinched the conference title when Vincent McPherson scored a three-set win over Buursma (6-3, 1-6, 6-1) at No. 3 singles. Kries edged Harbert 6-2, 6-4 at No. 1 singles to make the final scored 5-3 in favore of the Bluejays.

With the match decided, Tanaka's match against Greenwald was not completed although Tanaka led 6-1, 5-5 at the time.

"This is really an unbelievable feeling," said Anthony McPherson. "This team worked incredibly hard this season and it's great to see them rewarded with the College's first CCIW tennis championship in almost 60 years."

The Bluejays will await word on a Pool B at-large birth to the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA will announced the tournament field on Monday, May 6.

Photo courtesy of the CCIW.