Wheaton, Ill. - The Thunder men's tennis team earned a 5-1 victory against Augustana College (14-11) on Friday afternoon in the semifinal of the 2016 CCIW Men's Tennis Championship. Today's victory advanced Wheaton to the finals of the tournament on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. The Thunder will face Carthage College (20-6) in the Final, thanks to Carthage's 5-0 victory against Elmhurst in today's other semifinal. The winner of Saturday's final will earn the CCIW's automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA Division Men's Tennis Championship.

Wheaton (14-7) is looking to win its first CCIW Championship since 2012 and the program's 25th overall conference title on Saturday. A victory on Saturday would give the program its first NCAA Championship appearance since 2008.

Wheaton took a 2-1 lead against Augustana today in the team scoring thanks to a pair of wins in doubles competition. Wheaton's number-two doubles team of Lincoln Metz and Dane Paulsen defeated Jack Morkin and Connor Woolf of Augustana, 8-4. Josh Cheng and Karl Wenzel teamed for an 8-6 victory at number-three doubles over Augustana's Austin Schoeck and Harald Olsson.

Paulsen was a 6-0, 6-1 victor at number two-singles against Augustana's Eric Pohl. Matt Steiner earned a 7-5, 6-0 win at number-three doubles and Metz was a 6-3, 6-1 winner at number-four singles.

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WHEATON 5, AUGUSTANA 1
Singles competition
1. Ancona, Justin (WHEATON) vs. Totten, Samuel (AUGIE) unfinished
2. Paulsen, Dane (WHEATON) def. Pohl, Eric (AUGIE) 6-0, 6-1
3. Steiner, Matt (WHEATON) def. Lenz, Patrick (AUGIE) 7-5, 6-0
4. Metz, Lincoln (WHEATON) def. Christensen, Carl (AUGIE) 6-3, 6-1
5. Cheng, Josh (WHEATON) vs. Morkin, Jack (AUGIE) unfinished
6. Torok, Andrew (WHEATON) vs. Schoeck, Austin (AUGIE) unfinished
Doubles competition
1. Totten, Samuel/Pohl, Eric (AUGIE) def. Ancona, Justin/Steiner, Matt (WHEATON) 8-4
2. Metz, Lincoln/Paulsen, Dane (WHEATON) def. Morkin, Jack/Woolf, Connor (AUGIE) 9-7
3. Cheng, Josh/Wenzel, Karl (WHEATON) def. Schoeck, Austin/Olsson, Harald (AUGIE) 8-6